Unfair, biased refereeing mars Beijing Games
Criticism is flaring up over unfair and biased refereeing decisions at the 2022 Beijing Olympic Games. Despite the usual "home advantage" of a host country, the irrational decisions in favor of Chinese athletes are sparking a strong backlash from global citizens as well as Koreans. Some critics argue the Winter Games have become the "Games for China," damaging the sport festival's basic value of fair and free competition.
For starters, Korean skaters Hwang Dae-heon and Lee June-seo were penalized and disqualified in the different groups of the men's 1,000m semifinals Monday even though they finished first and second, respectively, for illegal late passing and lane change that caused contact. The decisions resulted in Chinese athletes advancing to the final, thus allowing China to grab both the gold and silver medals.
Referees took flak for their inappropriate decisions. The Korean players' acts penalized by the referees have been routine and legal in other international sports events. In the final, Hungary's Liu Shaolin Sandor was also disqualified even though he came in first, allowing Chinese skaters Ren Ziwei and Li Wenlong to snatch the gold and silver, each. Hungary lodged a protest against the ruling only to be rejected.
On Saturday, criticism was also raised when Chinese athletes won the mixed relay race even though they failed to touch. Against this backdrop, it is natural for foreign media outlets as well as Korean ones to take issue with the bungled officiating. Global news outlets such as AP, Reuters and Yahoo Sports slammed the decisions using expressions such as "chaos" and "controversial."
The values of the Olympic movement are "excellence, friendship and respect." But the Beijing Winter Games appear to pay little or no attention to these values. Yang Shuan, deputy director general of Beijing 2022's International Relations Department, said what is more important than medal rankings is participation itself. He stressed the significance of progress athletes make over records and medals. Chinese authorities should carry out what they have underlined to make the 2022 Olympic Games a stage of harmony of global youngsters. They should refrain from any attempt to turn the Games into a venue of antagonism and distrust.
On Tuesday, the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee lodged a protest with the International Skating Union over the penalty against Hwang, but was rejected. Then, the Korean delegation decided to file a suit with the Court of Arbitration for Sports. Tougher measures should be taken to prevent a recurrence of similar unfair and biased refereeing decisions.
Any country, including China, should not be allowed to undermine the Olympic spirit. Instead, they should double down on protecting athletes from unfair rulings. While dealing with the biased rulings squarely, we should refrain from fanning anti-China sentiment or blind nationalism among the public.
Criticism is flaring up over unfair and biased refereeing decisions at the 2022 Beijing Olympic Games. Despite the usual "home advantage" of a host country, the irrational decisions in favor of Chinese athletes are sparking a strong backlash from global citizens as well as Koreans. Some critics argue the Winter Games have become the "Games for China," damaging the sport festival's basic value of fair and free competition.
For starters, Korean skaters Hwang Dae-heon and Lee June-seo were penalized and disqualified in the different groups of the men's 1,000m semifinals Monday even though they finished first and second, respectively, for illegal late passing and lane change that caused contact. The decisions resulted in Chinese athletes advancing to the final, thus allowing China to grab both the gold and silver medals.
Referees took flak for their inappropriate decisions. The Korean players' acts penalized by the referees have been routine and legal in other international sports events. In the final, Hungary's Liu Shaolin Sandor was also disqualified even though he came in first, allowing Chinese skaters Ren Ziwei and Li Wenlong to snatch the gold and silver, each. Hungary lodged a protest against the ruling only to be rejected.
On Saturday, criticism was also raised when Chinese athletes won the mixed relay race even though they failed to touch. Against this backdrop, it is natural for foreign media outlets as well as Korean ones to take issue with the bungled officiating. Global news outlets such as AP, Reuters and Yahoo Sports slammed the decisions using expressions such as "chaos" and "controversial."
The values of the Olympic movement are "excellence, friendship and respect." But the Beijing Winter Games appear to pay little or no attention to these values. Yang Shuan, deputy director general of Beijing 2022's International Relations Department, said what is more important than medal rankings is participation itself. He stressed the significance of progress athletes make over records and medals. Chinese authorities should carry out what they have underlined to make the 2022 Olympic Games a stage of harmony of global youngsters. They should refrain from any attempt to turn the Games into a venue of antagonism and distrust.
On Tuesday, the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee lodged a protest with the International Skating Union over the penalty against Hwang, but was rejected. Then, the Korean delegation decided to file a suit with the Court of Arbitration for Sports. Tougher measures should be taken to prevent a recurrence of similar unfair and biased refereeing decisions.
Any country, including China, should not be allowed to undermine the Olympic spirit. Instead, they should double down on protecting athletes from unfair rulings. While dealing with the biased rulings squarely, we should refrain from fanning anti-China sentiment or blind nationalism among the public.
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