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.
Rebecca M Ford 
Good for you for sticking up for the corrupt IOC and FILA. Well done!
Just thought you should know. The international court CAS gave Abrahamian right. They said that the wrestlingfederation FILA MUST change their roules and work towards fair play. They basicly desided everything Ara said was true.
Do you really think that what he did was wrong? When even the court said he was right. Do you really think that FILA would have changed otherwise?
NO, no way. Now, hopefully, wrestling will be a fair game.
He would still have a medal, yes.
And the corruption within Fila would have continued.
He did not want the bronze medal, as he felt it was “tainted”.
And his actions at the podium actuallt made a difference, as CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport) has proven him right.
CAS states that:
* Abrahamian should have won the round that gave his opponent the victory
* The officials should have accepted the Swedish request for a video review (which they didn’t, even though the rules say they should have)
* Fila should have reviewed the Swedish protest after the match (instead of not accepting it at all)
Add to this that Fila president Martinetti (an Italian) is the one who assigned the referee (a relative of his) to the match, in which Abrahamian faced an Italian.
The same referee that visibly laughed in Abrahamian’s face as the Swedes were trying to get a video review.
And isn’t it funny how the Fila officials stormed out from their meeting with the Swedish delegation after being asked to point out where Abrahamian lost the match.
They then sent a non-English speaking representative to their meeting with the IOC, at the end of which it was clear that he hadn’t understood one word.
And, perhaps mots telling, Fila didn’t even appear at the CAS hearing …