nobase2010 Posted October 29, 2009 Report Share Posted October 29, 2009 Vanoc has no control on this. The Hellenic Olympic Committee picked her to carry the torch. WTF. http://communities.canada.com/vancouversun...mpic-flame.aspx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmaniS Posted October 29, 2009 Report Share Posted October 29, 2009 On the night the Vancouver flame comes to what is arguably Greece in all its glory, the Canadians were not included and effectively told to stay home. Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson was allowed in after he showed up unexpectedly. Does anyone know if this is true? Why would they not want as many people there as possible? I would think they would want as many heads of OCs that could make it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4gamesandcounting Posted October 29, 2009 Report Share Posted October 29, 2009 I didn't even realise she had failed drug tests. Very sad. Really enjoyed watching her emotional win in Athens. I hate being cheated of things like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olympian2004 Posted October 30, 2009 Report Share Posted October 30, 2009 I didn't even realise she had failed drug tests. Very sad. Really enjoyed watching her emotional win in Athens. I hate being cheated of things like that. There were speculations that she's a cheater already at the time of her Olympic victory. Before the Athens Olympics, she was practically a nobody in the international athletic scene -- but she enhanced her performance in the course of the year 2004 in a suspiciously drastic fashion. In her Olympic competition, she not only set a new Olympic Record but also was 3.5 seconds faster than in the previous season! I also remember her giving evasive answers when a German TV reporter asked her after her victory about her attitude towards the whole doping problem (remember: it was shortly after Kenteris and Thanou were banned). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olympian2004 Posted October 30, 2009 Report Share Posted October 30, 2009 Before I forget to comment on the actual topic: To let Halkia run with the sacred flame is, of course, an utterly outrageous decision. How many further doping cases does the HOC need to introduce a real "no tolerance" policy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IceNarcissus Posted October 30, 2009 Report Share Posted October 30, 2009 It's not such a huge deal. Besides, she's just one of thousands upon thousands of people who will carry the flame. It's not like each torchbearer MUST be some sort of saint. She's still a big name regardless of doping scandal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nobase2010 Posted October 30, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 30, 2009 Are you joking. It's a big deal. People work hard to win a medal in the Olympic and she cheated. It's not such a huge deal. Besides, she's just one of thousands upon thousands of people who will carry the flame. It's not like each torchbearer MUST be some sort of saint. She's still a big name regardless of doping scandal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christos Posted October 30, 2009 Report Share Posted October 30, 2009 HOC in a statement yesterday said that it was mistake to let her take part in torch relay. It is against their "policy". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olympian Posted October 30, 2009 Report Share Posted October 30, 2009 HOC in a statement yesterday said that it was mistake to let her take part in torch relay. It is against their "policy".who asked her to be part of the relay in the first place? did the HOC pick her? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olympian2004 Posted October 30, 2009 Report Share Posted October 30, 2009 It's not such a huge deal. Besides, she's just one of thousands upon thousands of people who will carry the flame. It's not like each torchbearer MUST be some sort of saint. She's still a big name regardless of doping scandal. Big name where? In the camp of the unteachable? No, torchbearers don't have to be saints -- but to allow an athlete banned from the Olympic Games to carry the Olympic torch is grotesque and a slap in the face. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nobase2010 Posted October 30, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 30, 2009 Yes the HOC picked her. who asked her to be part of the relay in the first place? did the HOC pick her? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baron-pierreIV Posted October 30, 2009 Report Share Posted October 30, 2009 well, see that's what happens with thousands and thousands of runners. Was every one of Beijing's 21,800 runners a saint? Of course not...the probably had liars and some sort of cheaters there too. That's why these Torch Relays should really be limited to maybe 2000 runners or so. It's just an easier task to vet 2,000 or so runners vs. 20,000. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IceNarcissus Posted October 30, 2009 Report Share Posted October 30, 2009 Get over it people. Haklia was just one of the few who allegedly doped that actually got caught. Hundreds more who carry the flame and are still highly regarded are likely to have used illicit drugs in competition as well. It's nooooooooo big deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nobase2010 Posted October 31, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2009 This kind of attitude make me sick. I can't believe your defending this cheater. Vanoc is spending million of dollars for anti-doping facility, that is a big deal. Do you want Ben Johnson light to light up the cauldron? Get over it people. Haklia was just one of the few who allegedly doped that actually got caught. Hundreds more who carry the flame and are still highly regarded are likely to have used illicit drugs in competition as well. It's nooooooooo big deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IceNarcissus Posted October 31, 2009 Report Share Posted October 31, 2009 This kind of attitude make me sick. I can't believe your defending this cheater. Vanoc is spending million of dollars for anti-doping facility, that is a big deal. Do you want Ben Johnson light to light up the cauldron? He's hardly a big enough name to light the 2010 WINTER games cauldron even if he wasn't associated with a doping scandal. And it wouldn't matter if he carried the torch at some point at all. I welcome the gesture. People who have doped in sports are still important athletes. They shouldn't be eternal pariahs for mistakes they have made in the past. This isn't a time to celebrate being overzealous and shame the wrongdoing of the world. This is a time to celebrate peace and putting aside past conflicts and differences, and that INCLUDES respecting important previous Olympians involved in any type of scandal, not just doping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenadian Posted November 1, 2009 Report Share Posted November 1, 2009 Uhhhhhhh. WHAT? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faster Posted November 1, 2009 Report Share Posted November 1, 2009 (edited) Its attitudes like that, that make doping in sport still problematic. You are a doper, you have no right to carry the Olympic flame, especially into as hallowed a location as the Acropolis. To dismiss it as nothing is exactly the attitude that has allowed the scandals to break across FIFA, UCI and FIS over the last decade. Doping is not as prevalent in sport as some would think and we live in a society that is innocent until proven guilty. So dismissing it on the grounds that others carrying the flame are just 'uncaught' dopers is an even more disgusting and disrespectful comment. She was proven guilty and has no place within the Olympic movement, especially while she is banned from competition. This is especially disgraceful on the part of the Hellenic Olympic Committee, that along with the Russians, Austrians and Spanish, have had some of the most high-profile and shameful instances of doping. And it shows complete disrespect to Canada, British Columbia and Vancouver for allowing her to carry the flame, that within the cauldron, is destined to be the symbol of our games. The HOC dropped the ball on this one and an apology is in order from them to Canada for their lack of respect and forethought. Edited November 1, 2009 by Faster Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olympian2004 Posted November 1, 2009 Report Share Posted November 1, 2009 He's hardly a big enough name to light the 2010 WINTER games cauldron even if he wasn't associated with a doping scandal. And it wouldn't matter if he carried the torch at some point at all. I welcome the gesture. People who have doped in sports are still important athletes. They shouldn't be eternal pariahs for mistakes they have made in the past. This isn't a time to celebrate being overzealous and shame the wrongdoing of the world. This is a time to celebrate peace and putting aside past conflicts and differences, and that INCLUDES respecting important previous Olympians involved in any type of scandal, not just doping. Come on, this cr*p can't be for real! Once again: Fani Halkia is still banned from international competition currently -- it's not that she was banned in the past, apologised and started a second, "clean" career as an athlete afterwards. And you also seem to misunderstand the Olympic ideal of peace and understanding. This idea simply can't apply to athletes who have violated another Olympic ideal, namely fair play without the help of drugs and doping. It's even in the Olympic Oath! To say it more precisely: One who cares a sh*t about Olympic values has no right to make use of the Olympic values anymore. The IOC doesn't tolerate doping, and so it's plainly grotesque to call for tolerance for and peace towards dopers now that another edition of the Games approaches. And by the way: Ben Johnson never was really apologetic. He repeatedly doped and thus was rightfully banned for life, and still he claims that he was sabotaged in Seoul. To call such people "still important athletes" is ludicrous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IceNarcissus Posted November 1, 2009 Report Share Posted November 1, 2009 So apparently keeping athletes with past doping scandals away is more important than oh say... the dozens of countries who routinely commit military aggressions? Exclusion is just not done. Nobody singles out a whole nation for political reasons at the IOC level unless it's clear their committee is unorganized to the point of it being a dangerous burden, HARDLY a situation applicable to a notorious athlete with criminal activities. Therefore, why have an exclusionary principle on a personal level, too? And why not just stop at doping? Let's throw in traffic violations while we are at it. At least traffic violators are ones who could have potentially harmed other people instead of just themselves and the entertainment of fans. Is having a media-friendly moment and tender memory more valuable than the safety of peoples' lives? Everybody so abrupt about this matter needs to get over their utopian pride in this whole thing. Nobody is perfect, and everything that happens in sports isn't always this miraculous god-given moment in time where the best person was indeed the winner. That perfection will never happen because humans act like... well... humans. And I don't care if they are unapologetic. The facts are 1. we weren't there, and 2. it's their word against the officials' word. Let's just agree to disagree, oh gee, that's what the modern games are ALL ABOUT! WOOOOOW! Leave castigation to groups that LIKE exclude people, like religious institutions! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Rols Posted November 1, 2009 Report Share Posted November 1, 2009 So apparently keeping athletes with past doping scandals away is more important than oh say... the dozens of countries who routinely commit military aggressions? Exclusion is just not done. Nobody singles out a whole nation for political reasons at the IOC level unless it's clear their committee is unorganized to the point of it being a dangerous burden, HARDLY a situation applicable to a notorious athlete with criminal activities.Therefore, why have an exclusionary principle on a personal level, too? And why not just stop at doping? Let's throw in traffic violations while we are at it. At least traffic violators are ones who could have potentially harmed other people instead of just themselves and the entertainment of fans. Is having a media-friendly moment and tender memory more valuable than the safety of peoples' lives? Everybody so abrupt about this matter needs to get over their utopian pride in this whole thing. Nobody is perfect, and everything that happens in sports isn't always this miraculous god-given moment in time where the best person was indeed the winner. That perfection will never happen because humans act like... well... humans. And I don't care if they are unapologetic. The facts are 1. we weren't there, and 2. it's their word against the officials' word. Let's just agree to disagree, oh gee, that's what the modern games are ALL ABOUT! WOOOOOW! Leave castigation to groups that LIKE exclude people, like religious institutions! Oh come on, I can't believe you can seriously believe that argument. One, the political complexion of your country's government is not a bar to participating at the games. Okay - yes, that's sweeping. There ARE exceptions. Occasionally, a stance is taken - Imperial Germany after WWI, the Axis aggressors again post WWII, Apartheid South Africa. Extreme cases, where there'd be little quibbling about the decision by the social climate of those particular times. Traffic infringements and such legal misdemeanours, are also no bar. Why should they be? I'm not sure how a murder or rape rap would affect your chances of getting accreditation from the IOC, but it certainly wouldn't help your chances in having your NOC choose you for a national team. Doping regulations, on the other hand, are something EVERY athlete who competes in the games MUST agree to abide to. It's the very basis of their participation. It's the heart of the very oath recited on behalf of athletes at the OC: "In the name of all the competitors I promise that we shall take part in these Olympic Games, respecting and abiding by the rules which govern them, committing ourselves to a sport without doping and without drugs, in the true spirit of sportsmanship, for the glory of sport and the honour of our teams." It's clear, it's unequivocal, it's transparent that breaching the oath renders you to instantly being stripped of your results and out of the games. It's cheating, and sure, not all cheats get caught, but it's clear what the penalties are for those who do get caught. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob2012 Posted November 1, 2009 Report Share Posted November 1, 2009 Well, this is just fantastic isn' it? How hard is it to get a list of banned athletes and then not pick one of them? Really, after Beijing's debacle you'd think the IOC would scrutinise every aspect of these things to ensure there's no possible controversy. It won't be a big deal once the torch is properly on its way through Canada and once the excitement really starts to build it'll be forgotten about, but it's an unforgivable oversight at best from the HOC and not fair on the Canadians that their relay has started like this. Poor show, I'm afraid Greece. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Rols Posted May 11, 2011 Report Share Posted May 11, 2011 Greek sprinters given suspended jail sentences for faking 2004 crashThe Greek sprinters Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou have been found guilty of perjury and handed 31-month suspended sentences by a court in Athens for their part in staging a motorcycle crash on the eve of the 2004 Olympic Games to avoid a drugs test. In a trial that began in January of this year having been postponed at least eight times since the incident, Kenteris's and Thanou's coach, Christos Tzekos – who is also accused of supplying banned substances to athletes – was given a sentence of 33 months. Seven state hospital doctors who purportedly treated the stars following the crash, along with two witnesses who alleged that they had seen the events unfold, were all given suspended sentences of between six and 15 months. Judge Dimitris Lefkos stated: "The court finds that this accident never occurred." Kenteris and Thanou immediately appealed against the verdict, although they were not present in court. Even if they lose their appeal it is thought that both will escape prison sentences in favour of a fine. A spokesman for the International Olympic Committee expressed relief at the verdict on an incident that had cast a dark shadow over the Athens Olympic Games. "We are pleased that justice has finally been done and that this faked accident has been revealed for what it was," an IOC spokesman said. "The judge made clear what we knew all along: that this accident never happened." The alleged motorcycle crash took place on the eve of the opening ceremony of the Athens Games in which in Kenteris – an Olympic gold medallist in 2000 – and Thanou – who won silver at the same Games in Sydney – had been expected to excel. It had been the fourth occasion in less than a month leading up to the Games that both athletes had missed a doping test. As a result both were immediately withdrawn from the Games and later handed two-year competition bans and lifelong Olympic bans in accordance with an IOC ruling under charges of bringing the Games into disrepute. Both athletes continue to protest their innocence. Kenteris's lawyer, Michalis Dimitrakopoulos, denounced the verdict. Quoted by the Associated Press he said: "It is simply unbelievable to refuse any mitigating circumstances to Olympic champions. That is granted to drug dealers and felons. And now we have this decision for two athletes as if they have not offered anything to the country. It is disgraceful and I am ashamed for my country." The Guardian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baron-pierreIV Posted May 11, 2011 Report Share Posted May 11, 2011 They still had all those gypsies selling trinkets at the Placa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baron-pierreIV Posted May 12, 2011 Report Share Posted May 12, 2011 (edited) Oops, sorry. Edited May 12, 2011 by baron-pierreIV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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