Pyeongchang 2018 Olympic Update (Day 5)
Controversy will always follow big events and in the sports world that controversy is almost guaranteed on any given day.
The Olympics is one of the major sporting events in that has to deal with more controversy than anywhere else.
It is an event with multiple events all running at the same time and to add to that there are many events that have to deal with a judging aspect.
That lends itself to controversy as there will always be people who disagree with the decisions that are handed down.
It is one of the constants in most sports and surely in the Olympics as not everyone will be happy with the way things go.
When adding national pride it can get a little worse as fans get ore precious about their teams because it is more than just a team that they are following.
One of the most controversial sports in the games saw that effect shortly after the completion of Day 4 and heading into Day 5.
Although the judged sports are often the ones heard about the most it is often by people who know little about the intricacies of that sport.
In short track speed skating there are no judges but often officials have a massive impact on the races.
The fact that there are multiple skaters all looking for the same patch of ice means that things will happen between the skaters.
Every race has a strong possibility of a skater or two being taken out and heading into the pads along the boards.
It is a part of short track skating simply because of the speeds and tight quarters but because of that reality officials often have a role in the way races are finished.
They often have to look at a number of aspects of the race and see if the contact in the race really changed the face of the race.
In any race, all skaters are entitled to their line on the inside of the corners while the skaters trying to get in have to be careful not to disturb the inside skaters.
There is some room for movement and if an outside skater takes a look and ensures that they can get in the inside skater can’t prevent them from making that move.
There have been so many examples of when this comes into play as a skater can try to make a move inside and win a medal only to be eliminated after the race.
That is what happened in the 500m women’s final in Day 4 as Minjeong Choi was eliminated from the final after seemingly winning silver.
At her home Olympics, she came in just behind veteran skater Arianna Fontana while Canadian Kim Boutin finished in fourth and out of the medals.
After the race though Boutin and Canada got a surprise when the South Korean was eliminated from the race giving Boutin the bronze.
During one of the turns in the race, Choi had looked to make a move to the inside in order to gain positioning but never looked at where she was going.
On the inside was Boutin who kept her position even slightly pushing Choi out of the way as they went through the turn.
That movement inside by Choi prompted the judges to take a look at the turn for a second time and determine that Choi had done too much.
It was a heartbreak for Choi and a massive boost for Boutin but it was far from the end of the controversy.
Like in any sport the fans will always have their say and with social media the way it is right now they have a platform to get those opinions out.
Unfortunately, this time around a lot of the opinions were directed at the Canadian skater with many South Korean fans letting her know that they disapproved.
It escalated quickly overnight to the point where Boutin began getting death threats from fans who claimed that she had cheated to earn her medal.
By Day 5 Boutin was forced off of social media, shutting down all of her accounts to avoid the hate online.
There will always be controversy at the Olympics and this will not be the only time that something happens where people don’t agree.
Yet this time it was seen at the worst level with death threats forcing one athlete to essentially go into hiding after achieving a dream.
It has surely ruined her Olympic experience and for no reason other than an official decided someone else had broken the rules and would be disqualified.
The Canadian Story:
On the Right Track
Although no medals were added to the Canadian total in Day 5 a few might be on the way including in the Pairs Figure Skating event. After the short program, Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford sit in third place. With only the free program left, they are sitting in a good spot for an Olympic medal.
More Success on the Ice
After winning the Mixed Doubles gold medal Canada began their pursuit of a second medal in Curling with the start of the men’s tournament. The Canadian team led by Kevin Koe has gotten off to a good start going 2-0 in the round robin so far. They will continue on in the pursuit of another medal which many believe can be gold this year.
Surprising Start
It might not have to do directly with Canada but Canadians are paying attention as the start of the men’s hockey tournament saw Canada’s two biggest rivals fall in their opening games. The Americans and Olympic Athletes from Russia lost their first games of the tournament leaving an opening for Canada but also showing that this tournament is sure to be unpredictable.
The Sport Addiction 