Swedish wrestler Ara Abrahamian throws away medal in Olympic hissy fit

[MechAg94]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/olympics/2557320/Swedish-wrestler-Ara-Abrahamian-throws-away-medal-in-Olympic-hissy-fit.html

Abrahamian threw down his 84kg greco-roman bronze in disgust after his shot at gold was ended by a decision denounced by the Swedish coach as "politics".

Abrahamian took the medal from around his neck during the medal ceremony, stepped from the podium and dropped it in the middle of the mat before storming off.

The Swedish wrestler had to be restrained by team-mates earlier as a row erupted with judges over the decision in a semi-final bout with Andrea Minguzzi of Italy, who went on to the take gold.

Abrhamian, who won silver at the Athens 2004 Games, shouted at the referee, then went over to confront judges, angrily throwing off the restraining arm of a team official.

Swedish fans booed loudly as the judges filed out of the arena. Abrahamian said nothing to waiting reporters but whacked an aluminium barricade with his fist as he left the hall.

"It's all politics," said Swedish coach Leo Myllari.

Myllari did not say if he intended to lodge a formal protest over the decision by referee Jean-Marc Petoud of Switzerland, judge Lee Ronald Mackay of Canada, and mat chairman Guillermo Orestes Molina of Cuba.

Other favourites went out in the semi-finals or earlier. Athens 96kg gold medallist Karam Gaber of Egypt failed to make it to the quarter-finals. Aleksey Mishin of Russia, who took Athens gold in the 84kg class, was beaten by Minguzzi.

Ramaz Nozazde of Georgia, who took silver in Athens, succumbed to Marek Svec of the Czech Republic, still fighting at age 35. Svec then lost to Russia's European champion Aslanbek Kushtov, who caught him with a spectacular fall.

In the heavyweight 120kg class, Armenia's Yuri Patrikeev and Dremiel Byers of the United States, both favoured as finalists, failed to go through.

WOW.     I didn't realize those bronze medals were that heavy.  Just throwing it down would take some effort.   

[Manedwolf]

Could be worse. Could have thrown the judges.

[zahc]

In judged 'sports' like wrestling, it's bound to happen. I know if I was convinced I  had 'won' but then I didn't do to a decision by the judges, I would be furious too. But then, wouldn't invest that much personally in something determined by a panel of judges in the first place.

[seeker_two]

I'm surprised no one has attacked gymnastics judges yet.....they are positively loopy on their evaluations....

[roo_ster]

Wrestling is a sport, in that you can have a decisive winner (pins opponent) & loser (gets pinned).

Gymnastics is a dance competition.

[Antibubba]

84 kg is his weight class.  And someone needs to test Anger Boy for anabolic steroids.

[wmenorr67]

It now seems the IOC has stripped him of the medal for his little hissy fit.

http://www.nbcolympics.com/wrestling/news/newsid=222463.html

BEIJING (AP) - A Swedish wrestler was disqualified and stripped of his bronze medal Saturday for dropping the prize in protest after a disputed loss at the Beijing Olympics.

Ara Abrahamian was punished by the International Olympic Committee for violating the spirit of fair play during the medal ceremony, becoming the fourth athlete kicked out of the games and bringing the number of medals removed to three.

Abrahamian became incensed when a disputed penalty call decided his semifinal match against Italian Andrea Minguzzi, who went on to win the gold medal in the Greco-Roman 84-kilogram division Thursday.

During the medal ceremony, the Armenian-born Abrahamian - who also lost a 2004 Olympic semifinal match on a disputed call - took the bronze from around his neck and, angrily, dropped it on the mat as he walked away. He did not take part in the rest of the medal ceremony.

The IOC executive board ruled Abrahamian's actions amounted to a political demonstration and a mark of disrespect to his fellow athletes.

Just the first part of the article.

[roo_ster]

When are they going to strip the 13YO girl gymnasts of theirs?

[wmenorr67]

When are they going to strip the 13YO girl gymnasts of theirs?

Unfortunately that would cause too much of a political uproar that it won't happen.  However, I do see more scrutny (sp) given to the Chinese record keeping after this year.

[HankB]

When are they going to strip the 13YO girl gymnasts of theirs?

Forget it - the IOC has been kowtowing to Red China since they kicked Taiwan out of the games at their Red master's behest, only allowing them back in if they entered as contestants from "Chinese Taipei."

Wrestling is a sport, in that you can have a decisive winner (pins opponent) & loser (gets pinned).

Gymnastics is a dance competition.

Wrestling can be a sport, but, like Olympic boxing, synchronized swimming, figure skating, diving, even ski jumping (which awards "style" points) it's all too often a popularity contest where medals and victories are simply given to people who don't actually win.

I . . . wouldn't invest that much personally in something determined by a panel of judges in the first place.

Indeed.