For many medal winners, the Olympics bring back memories of victory and glory.
But for some athletes, the competition can evoke flashbacks of headline-making scandals.
As a devoted fan of figure skating history, I can’t help but recall the shocking events leading up to the 1994 Olympics. Among the unforgettable moments is when Nancy Kerrigan was attacked at the U.S. Figure Skating Championship just prior to the Games. Despite being assaulted, she valiantly earned a silver medal in Lillehammer. On the other hand, Tonya Harding, whose ex-husband Jeff Gillooly and bodyguard Shawn Eckardt, hitman Shane Stant, and driver Derrick Smith served time for their involvement in the assault, was banned from the U.S. Figure Skating Association for life after she admitted to hindering the investigation.
During the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, U.S. swimmer Ryan Lochte acknowledged that he had exaggerated an incident involving a gas station altercation – later known as “Lochtegate. ” As a consequence, he was suspended from both national and international competitions for a period of 10 months.
The twelve-time medalist expressed regret in a 2016 Instagram post for not being more cautious with my words regarding the incidents during the early hours of last weekend. I apologize for shifting the attention away from the numerous athletes who achieved their Olympic dreams.
Additionally, there are other surprising events that fans might remember besides these. For instance, Russia was barred from participating in the 2018 Winter Olympics due to allegations of a doping scandal. Furthermore, there was the contentious judging situation involving Jamie Sale and David Pelletier’s figure skating performance.
To look back at more Olympic moments that had people talking, keep reading.
In 2021, supporters were dismayed when runner Sha’Carri Richardson was prohibited from joining the U.S. Olympic team following a positive marijuana test. She revealed she had consumed cannabis as a way to cope with her mother’s passing before competing in Eugene, Oregon, where she previously secured her place for the Olympics by winning the women’s 100-meter dash.
Larry Nassar, a former doctor for USA Gymnastics, is currently incarcerated due to convictions on sexual abuse charges. In 2018, a Michigan court sentenced him to 40 to 125 years in prison after he admitted guilt to three counts of criminal sexual conduct in the first degree. Previously, in 2018 and 2017, Nassar received sentences totaling up to 320 years for seven counts of similar charges and child pornography offenses. Notable gymnasts like Aly Raisman, McKayla Maroney, and Simone Biles were among the many athletes who reported experiencing abuse by Nassar.
In 2016, during the Rio Games, Ryan Lochte and three other Team USA swimmers, Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger, and James Feigen, claimed they had been robbed at gunpoint at a gas station. The incident occurred after their victory celebration.
In 2016, several major athletes chose not to attend the Olympics due to the Zika virus outbreak in Brazil. The mosquito-transmitted disease raised concerns among athletes, journalists, and spectators due to its potential to cause birth defects and other health issues. Notable absentees included golfers Rory McIlroy, Adam Scott, and Jason Day, who prioritized the safety of their families over competing. Soccer goalkeeper Hope Solo expressed reluctance but ultimately participated, while basketball stars LeBron James and Steph Curry downplayed any connection between the virus and their decisions to sit out.
As an avid follower of tennis, I was taken aback when I heard the news that Maria Sharapova was banned from competing in the 2016 Olympics due to a positive test for meldonium.
In 1888, Brazil officially abolished the transatlantic slave trade. however, this historical event continued to resonate during the planning and construction of the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. Controversy arose when allegations surfaced that the Olympic Park had been built over a mass grave of African slaves. A descendant expressed deep emotion towards the land, stating “I consider this ground sacred as it is where my ancestors were laid to rest.” The city government of Rio refuted any wrongdoing in this matter.
In 2016, Dr. Grigory Rodchenkov, a whistleblower and former head of Russia’s anti-doping lab, went public with accusations that Russia had been operating a doping program. The World Anti-Doping Agency proposed barring Russia from the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro entirely. However, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) instead left it up to each sport’s International Federation to decide which Russian athletes could compete at the Games. Russia was officially banned from the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, but clean individual athletes were allowed to participate under the name “Olympic Athlete from Russia” (OAR), carrying the Olympic flag instead of Russia’s. In 2023, with the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), qualified athletes holding Russian or Belarusian passports will compete at the 2024 Paris Olympics as “Individual Neutral Athletes.”
The 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics were surrounded by controversy. Many prominent figures spoke out against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s controversial anti-gay legislation enacted in 2013, resulting in several high-profile boycotts. Among them was Lady Gaga, who expressed her opposition on the Chatty Man show, stating, “I don’t think we should be going to the Olympics at all. I would never take anything away from the athletes’ hard work, but it is wrong for so many countries to send money and support to a country that doesn’t accept gays.”
It’s one of the biggest scandals in figure skating history.
Prior to the 1994 Olympics, Shane Stant attacked Kerrigan by hitting her knee, and afterwards, they fled in a car accompanied by Shane’s uncle Derrick Smith.
In spite of the malicious plot instigated by her ex-husband Jeff Gillooly and bodyguard Shawn Eckardt that resulted in an attack on her, Kerrigan managed to win a medal at the Olympics. Conversely, Harding, who admitted to obstructing justice, was prohibited from skating permanently.
At the 2002 Olympics, Canada’s figure skating pair Jamie Sale and David Pelletidier came in second place with their impressive routine. Later on, it was revealed that a French judge had been pressured into favoring the Russian team, Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze, in a corrupt vote-trading deal. Consequently, Sale and Pelletier were announced as co-champions alongside the Russians.
At the 2002 Winter Olympics, Apolo Anton Ohno, an American speed skater, clinched his initial gold medal. Although Kim Dong-Sung crossed the finish line first in the 1,500-meter race, he was later disqualified for a rule violation called cross-tracking. Consequently, Ohno was awarded the victory and set forth on his journey to amassing the most medals by an American Winter Olympian in history.
As an obsessed fan, I can’t help but reflect on the fateful turn of events at the 1972 Munich Olympics. The shadow of tragedy loomed large as terrorists took the lives of 11 Israeli athletes and coaches in a cruel and senseless act. But the controversy that followed was no less gripping. The United States’ loss to the Soviet Union’s formidable men’s basketball team in the gold-medal game remains a subject of heated debate among sports enthusiasts to this day.
Superpowers had previously withdrawn from Olympic games, but none had matched the actions of President Jimmy Carter in 1980 when he boycotted the Moscow Olympics in response to the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan. In retaliation, the USSR and its Eastern Bloc allies boycotted the Los Angeles Olympics four years later.
In 2009, a British tabloid published a controversial photograph of American swimmer Michael Phelps seemingly using a marijuana pipe. This incident didn’t affect any formal outcomes or cause him to lose any of his eight gold medals from the Beijing Games. Regardless, Phelps issued an apology through a statement obtained by The New York Times. He expressed regret for his actions and acknowledged that they fell short of the expectations set for him:
Canada’s Ben Johnson caused a global sensation when it was discovered that he had used anabolic steroids, leading to the forfeiture of his gold medal in the men’s 100-meter dash at the 1988 Olympics.
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2024-07-14 17:29