Gymnast Paul Hamm will keep his Olympic gold medal!

[Jolie Rouge]

Hamm gold backed by CAS; protest exhausted
From USA TODAY staff reports

Thanks to a ruling from the Court of Arbitration for Sport, U.S. gymnast Paul Hamm was allowed to keep his all-around Athens gold medal.
By Jennifer Graylock, AP

On Thursday, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rejected Korean gymnast and bronze medalist Yang Tae Young's appeal that the results of the men's individual all-around competition be changed, giving him the gold and Hamm the silver.

"This is obviously a great day for me," said Hamm, the first American man to win the Olympic men's all-around. " I'm proud to be the Olympic all-around gold medalist. The decision from CAS confirms what was always in my heart — that I am the Olympic champion."

U.S. Olympic Committee interim chief executive officer Jim Scherr said he was pleased CAS recognized and upheld a "field-of-play" decision.

"We are exceptionally pleased with the decision of CAS in this matter," Scherr said. "We are very pleased for Paul there's no longer any question regarding his status as the Olympic champion. We hope he will now be able to enjoy and bask in his accomplishments of that night."

On Aug. 20, two days after Hamm came back from a 12th-place crash landing on the vault to win the men's all-around competition in the closest margin of victory in Olympic history (.012), FIG admitted Yang mistakenly was given a 9.9 instead of a 10.0 start value on his parallel bars routine. FIG suspended three judges but said the results would stand.

But six days later, FIG President Bruno Grandi asked the U.S. Olympic Committee to deliver a letter to Hamm. In that letter, Grandi declared Yang the "true winner," reiterated that the results would stand and said it was up to Hamm to correct the mistake by agreeing to give his gold medal to Yang "as the ultimate demonstration of Fairplay."

On Aug. 29, Yang, backed by the Korean Olympic Committee, appealed to CAS, arguing he would have won the event with the extra tenth of a point in start value.

In Thursday's decision, CAS disagreed.

"An error identified with the benefit of hindsight, whether admitted or not, cannot be a ground for reversing a result of a competition. ... However, quite apart from the consideration that no one can be certain how the competition in question would have turned out had the official's decision been different, for a Court to change the result would on this basis still involve interfering with a field of play decision. Each sport may have within it a mechanism for utilising modern technology to ensure a correct decision is made in the first place (e.g. cricket with run-outs) or for immediately subjecting a controversial decision to a process of review (e.g. gymnastics) but the solution for error, either way, lies within the framework of the sport's own rules."

Also at issue was the timing of the Koreans' protest of the incorrect start value. During the Sept. 27 12-hour hearing before CAS, the U.S. Olympic Committee argued Koreans failed to protest Yang's start value in a timely manner.

Thursday, CAS arbitrators agreed that any protest concerning the start value should be made before the end of the competition, in accordance with FIG rules. In this case, the arbitrators ruled the protest occurred after the end of the competition.

Since he first learned of the Koreans' protest of an incorrect start value on Yang's parallel bar routine, Hamm adamantly has declared himself the true Olympic champion. "I played by the rules, and I won by the rules," he said recently.

The three-person CAS panel praised the behavior of Yang and Hamm throughout the controversy: "They were the victims of this unusual case because a shadow of doubts has been cast over Hamm's achievement in winning the sport's most prestigious prize and because Yang may have been deprived of an opportunity of winning it."

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/athens/gymnastics/2004-10-21-hamm-medal_x.htm?csp=25&RM_Exclude=Juno



Should U.S. gymnast Paul Hamm have been stripped of his gold medal?

NO -- 82.57
YES -- 17.43%

Total Votes:2742

[Jolie Rouge]

Enough already with the gymnastics gyrations!

ATHENS — The Games have digressed into the Athens Protest Olympics with acronymic organizations running amok, scheming to change any result they don't find agreeable.
While they're at it, let's award the 1972 men's basketball gold medal to the United States and give Roy Jones Jr. a 1988 boxing gold medal and let's correct any other Olympic wrong that has never been squared since 1896.

FIG (International Gymnastics Federation), IOC (International Olympic Committee), USOC (United States Olympic Committee), KOC (Korean Olympic Committee), it doesn't matter.

Pick an Olympic committee and pick a sports federation, and there will be controversy at the Olympics, summer or winter.

But enough is enough.

It's fine to protest within a reasonable amount of time (about 24 hours) and rectify the situation (within 24 hours), like the U.S. did when swimmer Aaron Peirsol was DQ'd from the 200 backstroke final after winning the race. Like an NFL coach who throws out his red flag when he wants instant replay to ensure the call was right.

What has transpired in gymnastics regarding the men's all-around competition is a joke and an embarrassment to the gymnastics community.

The controversy reached a new level of absurdity Friday when USOC released an exchange of letters between itself and FIG.

Sometime on Thursday, FIG president Bruno Grandi sent a letter to Hamm all but asking Hamm to do what is ethical and return the gold medal so it can be awarded to Korea's Yang Tae Young.

This controversy has lasted more than a week. The men's all-around was Aug. 18.

"Indeed the start value of Korean gymnast Yang TaeYoung was given as 9.9 instead of 10.0. As a result the true winner of the All-Around competition is Yang Tae Young," FIG's letter to Hamm said.

"If (according to your declarations to the press), you would return your medal to the Korean if the FIG requested it, then such an action would be recognized as the ultimate demonstration of Fairplay by the whole world. ... At this moment in time, you are the only one who can make this decision."

That statement comes after Grandi said earlier in the Olympics there would be no changes in the men's all-around.

Someone must have persuaded Grandi to change his mind and "convince" Hamm to do what's honorable.

The USOC responded. Not in kind, either.

"The United States Olympic Committee views this request as a blatant and inappropriate attempt on the part of the Federation Internationale De Gymnastique to once again shift responsibility for its own mistakes and instead pressure Mr. Hamm into resolving what has become an embarrassing situation for your Federation."

Whereas the USOC was once willing to discuss the possibility of awarding two gold medals, it was not in the mood Friday to have that discussion.

"In the light of this most recent and unacceptable maneuver by the FIG, as well as concern expressed by the IOC, this is no longer an option the USOC will consider," the USOC wrote in its letter to Grandi.

Later on Friday, Grandi tried to back off his roundabout request that Hamm give his gold to the Korean.

"He deserves the medal and the ranking is clear. ....," Grandi told the Associated Press. "I respect totally Paul Hamm and all the decisions he makes. If he says give back the medal, I respect it. Don't give back the medal, I respect the decision. He is not responsible for anything."

How convenient to say that after reading the USOC's resolute response. These namby-pamby sports federations change their minds depending on whom they are listening to at any given moment.

Not only has this issue dragged out way too long, it has taken too much air time, news print and cyberspace. Above all, it detracts from a popular Olympic sport.

The IOC is partly to blame too because it should have stepped in last week and ended the matter.

The parties involved don't see it, but they're making a mockery of the sport. Another sport where judges are involved, another sport where controversy saps the joy.

I understand all the talk of awarding two medals. But it should have been done last week.

I understand all the talk of Hamm doing what's right and giving his gold medal to the Korean. I don't agree with it.

At this point, Grandi needed courage to stick by his decision. Even if Grandi and his federation would have changed the results last week or awarded two golds, I would have been fine with it. But his dawdling is lame.

Mistakes are made in sports all the time. An ump yells out when the runner is safe. A referee calls a charge when it was a block.

While those are judgment calls and the gymnastics snafu was a factual oversight, the bottom line remains: humans make mistakes.

And if it can't be corrected within a reasonable amount of time, then it shouldn't be corrected. Certainly not more than a week after the event.

Imagine if an NFL coach didn't discover an opponent had stepped out of bounds prior to scoring the winning touchdown until he watched film Monday morning. Do you think that coach could, or even would, call the NFL and ask the league to reverse the outcome? Of course not. If the coach had thrown his red flag right after the play and the replay official saw the player had stepped out of bounds, then the play would have been changed.

It's not feasible in athletics to have a post mortem after every event and make decisions accordingly.

And to put aside any notion of jingoism, I'd feel the same way if the Korean had won gold and Hamm had been wronged.

USOC chairman Peter Ueberroth put it more succinctly.

"I don't know of any comparison in any sport anywhere where you crown an athlete, crown a team and then say, 'Oh, that was a mistake. Would you fix this for us?' " Ueberroth said.


www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/zillgitt/2004-08-27-zillgitt_x.htm

***


Jeff Zillgitt writes about sports for usatoday.com.

[Jolie Rouge]

No ducking double-standard that is applied to Americans

ATHENS — It is the American dilemma in every Olympic Games, and here we go again, the flashpoint this time a piece of gold from gymnastics.
To be strong, but not overbearing. To win, but not annoy the rest of the planet. And to understand there is a double standard at the beginning, that will only grow more so by the end, by which time the host city usually wants the Yankees to go home, anyway.

Comes with the territory. It is tricky work, and we do not always get it right. Sometimes we talk too much.

Here is where the world of Olympic gymnastics had turned.

FIG — the federation that runs the sport — had asked in a letter that Paul Hamm give back his all-around gold medal, and bail them out of a butchered judging controversy that cost a Korean the victory.

The United States Olympic Committee had responded in a letter by telling the FIG it could stick that idea in its pommel horse.

All this comes as the boos for the United States have been growing in Greece, which happens nearly every Olympiad. By then, the world has seen quite enough American victory laps, heard quite enough American anthems.

"If you want to be liked, don't invade Iraq," a taxi driver said.

He probably could have added don't win 90 medals, either.

And so the United States, presumed bully, must play by different rules.

The men's 200 meters was held up seven minutes Thursday night because the Greek crowd refused to get quiet for the start, venting its rage that national hero Konstantinos Kederis was not in the field because of — to them — a trumped-up drug suspicion.

Nobody complained. If that happens in Atlanta, the world news media goes ballistic.

Hamm had to wait to compete on the bars the other night, while angry Russians inflamed a crowd furor over a score.

If that happens in Los Angeles, it's a scandal.

Fani Halkia, who won the women's 400-meter hurdles for Greece, said something interesting after the race.

"Greeks were born to be winners. They are born to be first. It is inscribed in our cells. It is the best gift our ancestors bequeathed upon us."

All Hellas broke loose in applause, which was fine. But imagine Michael Phelps saying the exact same thing, only change the word "Greek" to "Americans." What's the reaction then?

The Argentine basketball team ripped off its jerseys and paraded around the court bare-chested Friday night after beating the United States.

It was a celebration deserved. But if Americans do that, the word "ugly" would not be far behind.

And it must be wondered if Hamm is even sent that letter if he is from Romania instead of Wisconsin.

USOC executive Jim Scherr's letter of response read in part:

"The USOC views this request as a blatant and inappropriate attempt on the part of (FIG) to once again shift responsibility from its own mistakes and instead pressure Mr. Hamm into resolving what has become an embarrassing situation for your federation. The USOC finds this request to be improper, outrageous, and so far beyond the bounds of what is acceptable, that we refuse to transmit it to Mr. Hamm."

In other words, no.

The USOC is on solid ground. Hamm is being asked to become the first Olympic champion in history to hand back a medal without breaking any rules.

But it went a flexed-muscle too far — as can sometimes be our custom — by saying a second gold to the Korean is not an option. That's not the USOC's say. And it'd be the best way out.

Best to stick to the game plan in a delicate world. Speak softly, win a few last medals, and get out of town. Leaving the boos behind.


http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/lopresti/2004-08-27-lopresti_x.htm

Mike Lopresti writes for Gannett News Service.

[Jolie Rouge]

Hamm should share gold, not Wheaties box


ATHENS — Paul Hamm might deserve a Wheaties box, a million-dollar endorsement deal, and all the spoils that go to any Beaver Cleaver, boy-next-door champ whose eyes spill over when The Star-Spangled Banner is played.
But he doesn't deserve sole ownership of the all-around gymnastics medal. That is something he most definitely needs to share.

If gymnastics officials and the Court of Abritration for Sport have any sense of justice, they will immediately award a second gold medal to Yang Tae-young of South Korea, who was stuck with the bronze Wednesday because of garden variety Olympic incompetence from the mystery men in blazers and ties.

The judges messed up. What else is new? Yang should've been given a start value of 10.0 on his parallel bars routine, and instead was given a 9.9. That tenth of a point wasn't some irrelevant fraction to be dismissed on an otherwise historic gymnastics night.

It was only the difference between hearing the South Korean anthem and the American anthem.

The official boxscore said Hamm beat Kim Dae-eun and countryman Yang in the closest all-around competition the Olympics have ever seen. As it turns out, that boxscore is a fraud. The International Gymnastics Federation ruled that three judges — from Spain, Colombia and the U.S. — needed to be suspended because of this fraud, but that the final results were the final results.

What a joke.

Fairness and common sense should always supersede some bureaucrat's blowhard rules, rules that have a way of bending with the public opinion gale, anyway. In Salt Lake City, with the North American media machine at full throttle, a cute-as-cupcakes Canadian couple was awarded a share of the figure skating gold won by the Russian pair. This decision was made by the International Olympic Committee on the recommendation of the International Skating Union, and enforced before an investigation of judge Marie-Reine Le Gougne's conduct was complete.

There's been no public hint of corruption here. Just more Inspector Clouseau bunk from from Olympic judges, who have already made a mockery of Aaron Peirsol's 200 backstroke victory and a team equestrian event originally won by Germany before it was handed back to the French with American and English help — just like Paris was in 1944.

But if the CAS fails to right this wrong, the IOC needs to step in for the South Korean like it stepped in for Jamie Sale and David Pelletier in Salt Lake, and like it stepped in for Canada's Sylvie Frechette in 1993, one year after she was denied the gold in synchronized swimming because a judge mistyped an 8.7 score into her computer when she meant to give Frechette a 9.7.

American Kristen Babb-Sprague was allowed to keep her gold then, just as Paul Hamm would be allowed to keep his gold now. Only gymnastics officials are saying their rules don't allow for a protest of the judges' scoring. "The judges' marks have to be accepted as a final decision and cannot be changed," decreed a news release from the sport's governing body.

Put this in the books: Yang will get a ceremony to call his own. With a procession of cheating athletes doping out of these Games, and with so many headlines shouting about so few Olympic fans in the stands, the IOC doesn't need another migraine. Jacques Rogge is saying the IOC doesn't get involved in pure ranking issues, but give Rogge and the boys two or three days to get their stories straight. Sooner rather than later, they'll make flip-flopping the Games' latest demonstration sport.

That's assuming a Salt Lake-sized outcry meets this train wreck head on. Will the Americans lead the charge this time? Will they scream and shout and flail about like they did when Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze were ice dancing alone on the highest Winter Games mount?

Or will they remain perfectly content with their apple-pie-faced Yank as exclusive owner of a medal he shouldn't have won?

Even if the South Koreans were late with their protest (they say they weren't), who cares? There's no shot clock on justice. If the foul-ups here weren't as dreadful as they were in the Soviet-U.S. basketball game in Munich, or in that Roy Jones fight in Seoul, they were close enough.

Sorry, but suspending a few faceless judges doesn't close the deal. Paul Hamm has to share the gold medal. He doesn't have to share the Wheaties box.

Ian O'Connor also writes for The (Westchester County, N.Y.) Journal News

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/oconnor/2004-08-21-oconnor-hamm_x.htm

[Jolie Rouge]

Only one maneuver remains: Give up the gold

ATHENS — U.S. gymnast Paul Hamm finds himself in an impossible situation at these Olympics. It is not his fault that three international judges made a mistake that cost Yang Tae-young of South Korea the gold medal — the medal that we now know was given incorrectly to Hamm.

It's not Hamm's fault, but it is his opportunity. Hamm should give his gold medal to Yang.

I know how abrupt this sounds. All Hamm's hard work, all those hopes and dreams of winning an Olympic gold medal, and now he's supposed to just hand it over to an opponent he thought he defeated the other night?

Well, yes.

To be sure, Hamm was magnificent last Wednesday night. His comeback was the stuff of Olympic legend. People who follow gymnastics will talk for decades about how he competed and how he won. He did nothing wrong and everything right.

But now the poor guy is embroiled in the biggest non-doping scandal of these Games. Officials of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) have ruled that Yang deserved one-tenth of a point more on his start value for his parallel bars routine. That one-tenth of a point added to Yang's score would have taken him from third to first in the men's individual all-around competition.

Yang would have won. Hamm would have earned the silver. Yang's countryman, Kim Dae-eun, would have been bumped to third.

Armed with this knowledge, FIG officials suspended the three judges but did nothing about the result, leaving Hamm and Yang to twist in the wind. FIG's action is inexcusable. You acknowledge a mistake was made — and then you do nothing about the result?

Once again, we have living proof that the last amateurs left in Olympic sports are the people running them. The inaction of the officials from FIG left the South Korean delegation with the possibility of seeking a satisfactory resolution of this mess from the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

As we await CAS' possible involvement, Hamm has been given a once-in-a-lifetime chance to rise above his sport — all sport, actually — and do something that will endear him to just about everyone on the planet who is paying attention to the Olympics.

He would part with something extremely dear to him, the gold he fought so hard to win the other night, the gold he has dreamed of since he was a little kid in a gym in Waukesha, Wis. That's no small gesture. But precisely because the gold is so meaningful, Hamm would reap benefits he cannot yet imagine; addition by subtraction, if you will.

In the USA, in South Korea and around the world, people who couldn't care less about gymnastics would laud his dignity, sportsmanship and honor, especially because it represents such a polar opposite to the in-your-face arrogance and selfishness of so much of what we see in today's sports. Hamm would lose nothing, really, and would gain everything.

For instance, you don't think sponsors would be just a little bit interested in the guy who handed back his gold? In purely monetary terms — which I'm hoping isn't part of the discussion among Hamm, his family and his advisers — it's a no-brainer. And if that doesn't matter to him, if speeches and appearances and fame are not his thing, then his fallback position is something his mother would love: He gave up the gold because it was the right thing to do.

Hamm would no longer simply be a gymnast who won the gold, a fine achievement, but hardly a singular one. He would become a metaphor for everything that is good about sports and the Olympic Games.

Hamm stands at a crossroads. If he chooses to keep the gold, especially if Yang doesn't receive a second gold, here's the scenario: When the Olympic flame goes out Sunday and September rolls around and college and pro football begin and no one remembers who won what in Athens, Hamm's only distinction will be that of the man who won the controversial Olympic gold medal. Can you imagine the questions that will follow him wherever he goes?

But if he gives up the gold, he transcends sport. He instantly becomes a role model's role model. Move over, Michael Phelps.

All we're talking about is one good man making one simple, remarkable gesture.

I hope he does it.


http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/brennan/2004-08-22-brennan-hamm_x.htm


:rolleyes:

[ajksmom]

OOPS...I just want to clarify that one of those yes votes is from me and ONLY because I read the question wrong......I meant to vote NO because I believe whole heartedly that he should be allowed to keep it...