Michael Cambridge
The Olympic Games are the pinnacle of athletic achievement, where athletes from around the world compete for glory. However, not every athlete leaves the Games with the recognition they deserve. Throughout Olympic history, there have been numerous instances where athletes were denied victory due to controversial decisions, questionable judging, or outright errors. Here are ten such athletes whose Olympic dreams were marred by injustice.
1. Amber Jo Rutter – Paris 2024 Skeet Shooting
In the 2024 Paris Olympics, British shooter Amber Jo Rutter was denied a gold medal in the women’s skeet shooting final against Chile’s Francisca Crovetto Chadid. Replays showed Rutter had hit a target that judges ruled as a miss. Due to Olympic rules, such decisions cannot be overturned, leading to widespread criticism of the officiating. Despite the setback, Rutter secured a silver medal, becoming the first British woman to win an Olympic medal in skeet shooting.
2. Rosie Eccles – Paris 2024 Boxing
Team GB boxer Rosie Eccles was eliminated in the opening round of the Paris 2024 Olympics after a split decision loss to Poland’s Aneta Rygielska. Eccles appeared more active and even caused Rygielska to be deducted a point for spoiling. Despite this, the judges favored Rygielska, leading to an outcry from fans and commentators who felt Eccles was unjustly robbed of her Olympic dreams. talkSPORT
3. Delicious Orie – Paris 2024 Boxing
Another controversial decision in boxing occurred when Team GB’s Delicious Orie faced Armenia’s Davit Chaloyan. Orie dominated all three rounds but lost 3-2 in a split decision. The result left Orie in tears and sparked outrage among fans and analysts who believed he had been robbed of a rightful victory. The Irish Sun
4. Jordan Chiles – Paris 2024 Gymnastics
American gymnast Jordan Chiles was initially awarded a bronze medal in the floor exercise at the Paris 2024 Olympics. However, a protest by the Romanian Olympic Committee led to the disqualification of Chiles’ score due to a late appeal submission. As a result, Chiles was stripped of her medal, and the bronze was awarded to Romania’s Ana Barbosu. Chiles expressed heartbreak over the decision, which was met with disappointment from USA Gymnastics. People.com
5. Kaylee McKeown – Paris 2024 Swimming
Australian swimmer Kaylee McKeown was promoted to bronze in the women’s 200m individual medley after American swimmer Alex Walsh was disqualified for an illegal turn. However, video evidence later suggested that McKeown herself may have committed a similar infraction. Despite the findings, there was no appeal process, and McKeown retained her bronze, leaving many to question the fairness of the decision. news
6. Magomed Abdulhamidov – London 2012 Boxing
In the 2012 London Olympics, Azerbaijani boxer Magomed Abdulhamidov was initially declared the winner in his second-round bout against Japan’s Satoshi Shimizu. Abdulhamidov had been knocked down six times in the final two minutes of the match. An appeal by the Japanese coach led to the decision being overturned, and Shimizu was awarded the bronze medal, highlighting the flaws in the judging system. Wikipedia
7. Evgeni Plushenko – Vancouver 2010 Figure Skating
Russian figure skater Evgeni Plushenko’s performance in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics was marred by a controversial scoring decision. Plushenko landed a quadruple jump in his short program, a feat not achieved by his competitors. However, he received lower marks than American Evan Lysacek, who did not perform a quad. Plushenko and many analysts felt the scoring system was biased and that he had been unfairly denied the gold medal. Wikipedia
8. Sarah Stevenson – Beijing 2008 Taekwondo
British taekwondo athlete Sarah Stevenson was denied a place in the semi-finals of the women’s +67 kg category at the Beijing 2008 Olympics due to a controversial decision. In the quarterfinals, Stevenson landed a clear strike to China’s Chen Zhong, but only half of the judges recorded the hit, resulting in a loss for Stevenson. The British team protested, and the decision was overturned, allowing Stevenson to proceed, though she ultimately took bronze.
9. Jamie Salé and David Pelletier – Salt Lake City 2002 Figure Skating
In the 2002 Winter Olympics, Canadian pair Jamie Salé and David Pelletier were initially awarded silver in the pairs’ figure skating competition after a flawless free skate. Russian pair Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze won gold despite a minor technical error. Following a judging controversy, both pairs were awarded gold medals, marking the first time in Olympic history that two gold medals were given in the same event.
10. USA Basketball Team – Munich 1972
The U.S. men’s basketball team was controversially defeated by the Soviet Union in the final of the Munich 1972 Olympics. With three seconds remaining and the U.S. leading 50–49, a series of officiating errors and timekeeping issues led to the Soviets receiving additional time to score, resulting in a 51–50 victory. The U.S. team refused to accept their silver medals, citing the unfairness of the decision.
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