2022 Beijing Olympics Raised Questions
2022 Beijing Olympics Raised Questions
  • Lee Seung-yeon
  • 승인 2022.04.05 17:41
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Closing ceremony of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics (Provided by International Olympic official Twitter)
Closing ceremony of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics (Provided by International Olympic official Twitter)

   The 24th Beijing Winter Olympics was held in Beijing on February 4. For 16 days of events, 2,861 people from 91 countries participated. Many people were looking forward to the Beijing Winter Olympics under the slogan ‘Together for a Shared Future.’ Regrettably, the events were plagued by many problems and accidents. 
  The referee’s biased judgment has sparked controversy in the men’s 1,000-meter short track speed skating in which Hwang Dae-heon participated. With four laps left, Hwang Dae-heon passed China’s Lanzwei and Lee Won-lung and was the first to cross the finish line. However, the referee decided that Hwang Dae-heon changed lanes too late in the race, disqualifying him. The SBS sports commentator said that Hwang Dae-heon’s overtaking is not a problem, so the decision is incomprehensible. Instead, Lee Won-lung hurriedly changed lanes and pushed Hwang Dae-heon. Instead of Hwang Dae-heon, China’s Lanzwei and Lee Won-lung advanced to the finals. They subsequently received gold and silver medals.
  Controversy continued in the mixed team ski jumping event. Germany’s Katarina Althouse, Japan’s Takanashi Sara, Norway’s Anna Straem and Sierre Opses, and Austria’s Daniela Stoltz were disqualified for violating uniform regulations. Ski jumping uniforms are strictly regulated as loose parts can act as wings. EuroSports reported, “It is common to be disqualified for ski jumping due to uniform problems, but it is unusual for so many athletes to be disqualified.” In addition, Germany’s Althouse wore the same uniform in individual and team events. She was able to compete in her uniform without any problems in the individual event receiving the silver medal. However, the same uniform caused problems for the team event, creating an absurd situation. Furthermore, Opses of Norway said, “The referees measured the uniform differently ahead of the team match and asked me to stand in a different way than usual.” However, Japanese media analyzed that the player’s muscles may have shrunk at minus 16 degrees Celsius, making his uniform relatively larger.
  The Olympic Games exposed controversy over decisions and the issue of doping. Russian figure skater Barliyeva, a strong contender for the gold medal, was criticized for doping in the women’s singles short program. However, according to the International Inspection Agency (ITA), the drug trimetazidine was found in her blood sample taken on December 25 during the Russian Figure Skating Championships. This drug is a stimulant used as a medication for angina, a heart condition. Russia’s Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) suspended her temporarily, but the punishment was withdrawn after her appeal. The International Inspection Agency (ITA) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) have filed a lawsuit with the International Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against the withdrawal of disciplinary action. However, the CAS rejected the case because she was a minor, and the test results were untimely. Meanwhile, Reuters reported that Barliyeva tested positive for trimetazidine because of her grandfather’s heart treatment. 
Ultimately she participated in the women’s individual short program. Many sports officials and fans did not cheer for her performance. The commentators even kept silent while she was skating. She came in first at the women’s individual short program with a total score of 82.16. However, her women’s free skating event performance received unfavorable scores due to jumping errors. In the end, she failed to win a medal as she finished fourth with 224.09 points.
  Despite these various incidents, some players tried for their dreams fair and square. The 2022 Beijing Olympics ended on the 20th as Norway ranked first, Germany second, and China third in national medal rankings.


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