Ara Abrahamian, the Swedish wrestler who walked off the podium and dropped his bronze medal, has been stripped of his medal, and barred from all Olympic venues.
He violated the spirit of the Olympics, which was the point I was making in my previous post. Yes, he may have been cheated–but that was being investigated, so the podium was not the place to react. If he hadn’t made that display, he would still have a medal, rather than nothing at all.
Categories: sports
Tagged: ara abrahamian, olympics, sweden, wrestling
The Swedish wrestler, Ara Abrahamian, threw his bronze medal down and stormed off at the Olympic ceremony for wrestling today. See video here.
Sore Loser
The Olympics are about sports and sportsmanship. Abrahamian shamed his country and his sport with his actions. He seems to feel he was cheated out of the gold, but regardless he should be graceful in his loss. I understand that the judges are now under investigation, but he should let that take its course and at least be graceful on the stand. This is not about if he was wronged (which it sounds like he may have been) but about the way you carry yourself when you represent your country.
Categories: sports
Tagged: ara abrahamian, olympics, swedish, wrestling
At UCLA, some of the top men’s tennis players have gathered to compete in the Countrywide Classic.
Yesterday, Tommy Haas, who has won the tournament twice, took on 19-year-old Donald Young, and to everyone’s surprise, Young beat Haas in two sets.
While I am a pretty new fan of tennis, I can’t help but be amazed by Young. Haas is a legend, even in Los Angeles. (Kate Hudson, a friend and fan, was in the stands with Haas’ girlfriend.) This scrappy, up-and-coming kid just kept firing back, and through pure endurance beat Haas. He obviously has a great career in front of him.
Spain’s Carlos Moya played Xavier Malisse of Belgium. It took three sets and a tiebreak for Moya to beat Malisse.
Categories: sports
Tagged: carlos moya, moya, tommy haas, donald young, tennis, haas, kate hudson
I can’t wait for the Olympics. There’s nothing like the top athletes from around the world gathering in one place to compete in all sorts of amazing sports.
But while I wait, I have the trials to entertain me. Lately, it has been the swimmers, and I’ve always thought they look a little less human and a little more dolphin-like as they fly accross the water. And before they jump in they do that flapping thing with their arms– it is amazing.
But, tonight I saw Dara Torres swim in a semifinal. She’s–get this– 41 years old. She swam in her first Olympics the year I was born. Many of her competitors weren’t alive at that time. I am in awe of this woman. She got second in the semi-final, and will be on to the finals tomorrow.
To think that a woman is in that great of shape at that age to swim with the best in the world is truly amazing. But more than that, she’s got a heart to match. Her determination proves that anything is possible.
And that’s why I love the Olympics. The possibilities are endless. A gymnast can land one one foot to win the gold, a rower can win bronze after a severe boating accident which almost cost her a limb, an orphan from Romania can win ice skating gold. You can’t even make this stuff up, it is THAT good.
Categories: sports
Tagged: dara torress, olympics, sports, swimming
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