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記憶に残るオリンピック
ジャッジミスが相次いだアテネオリンピック。
審判の腕を競わせる競技を設け、
2008年は予選を勝ち抜いた者だけを採用しては?
An Olympics to remember
People will remember the 2004 Summer Olympics for a bunch of reasons, some good, some bad.
Firstly, this is the year when the Games returned to the land in which they originated. I hate to be a stick in the mud, but I really thought that the 2000 Games should have gone to Athens, rather than Sydney. True, recognizing the Olympic birthplace is what is important, but 2004? Such an unimpressive number when held up next to a two with three zeros.
And Japanese sports fans have their own particular reason to cherish this year's Olympics. Their countrymen took home more gold, silver and bronze medals this time than ever before in the nation's history. And they won the awards across a wide range of sports. Very impressive!
Seeing the men's gymnastic team win in the overall competition must have rekindled fond memories in anyone old enough to remember the period from 1960 to 1976 when the Japanese men's team was practically unbeatable. Mitsuo Tsukahara is one of the fellows who were snapping up medals during that glorious era. His addition to the coaching staff a few years ago may signal a comeback, starting with the brilliant showing in Athens.
Unfortunately, the 2004 games will also be remembered for some of the most deplorable judging ever. When wrestler Kyoko Hamaguchi lost a semifinals match against Wang Xu, security guards had to restrain her father and coach Heigo "The Animal" Hamaguchi. During the bout her score "magically" gained and shed points. And there was a questionable judging call, as well. Hamaguchi's dad was so incensed he tried to clear the railing between the audience and the playing area to protest the results.
Though little consolation for Hamaguchi, others
were hit harder by poor judging this time around. Korean Yang Tae Young's tale is surely one of the most heart-rending. There is no question that a judging error occurred in his case. And it is clear that the error may have cost the South Korean gymnast a gold medal. Still, Yang goes home with just a bronze. Sounds to me like the perfect time to give out two gold medals. Have a heart.
Leonid Arkayev, president of the Russian Gymnastics Federation, lambasted the "judging mafia" as he lamented the poor showing of two of his country's star gymnasts. One of them, Alexei Nemov, wowed the audience with difficult and dramatic maneuvers on the horizontal bar but was given a low score of 9.725. When the crowd watching reacted violently to the decision, Nemov's score was adjusted a bit resulting in a slightly higher finish. Later, one judge on the panel admitted that he had raised his evaluation of Nemov in response to the pressure from the crowd. Judges reacting to the audience? That opens a whole new can of worms.
Something should be done about these issues, but what? I know: Let's have a judging competition and let only the winners handle the Beijing Olympics in 2008. Who gets to judge the judges? The sports fans, of course! We'll start off with a stiff eye examination; I'm not so sure some of those folks are seeing straight.
Shukan ST: Sept. 10, 2004
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- a bunch of 〜
- 多くの〜
- Games
- オリンピック
- land in which they originated
- 発祥の地
- hate to be a stick in the mud
- 固いことは言いたくないが
- should have gone to〜
- 〜で開催されるべきだった
- Athens
- アテネ
- recognizing
- 称えること
- unimpressive
- 印象の薄い
- when held up next to a two with three zeros
- 2に零が3つ続く数字(2000)の横に並ぶと
- cherish
- 大事に思う
- countrymen
- 同胞
- took home
- 持ち帰った
- bronze
- 銅
- men's gymnastic team
- 男子体操団体
- must have rekindled 〜
- 〜を再び熱く思い起こさせたに違いない
- practically
- 事実上
- unbeatable
- 無敵の
- Mitsuo Tsukahara
- 塚原光男
- were snapping up medals
- メダルをいくつも獲得した
- glorious era
- 栄光の時代
- His addition to 〜
- 彼が〜に加わったこと
- signal 〜
- 〜の前兆となる
- brilliant
- 素晴らしい
- showing
- 成績
- deplorable
- 遺憾な
- Kyoko Hamaguchi
- 女子レスリング72 キロ級の浜口京子選手
- semifinals match
- 準決勝
- restrain 〜
- 〜を制止する
- bout
- 試合
- magically
- まか不思議なことに
- gained and shed points
- ポイントが増え、そして減った
- incensed
- 激怒した
- railing
- 手すり
- Though little consolation for 〜
- 〜の慰めになるわけではないが
- were hit harder
- より痛い目に遭っている
- heart-rending
- 悲痛な
- Have a heart.
- 選手の身にもなってくれよ
- lambasted
- 非難した
- judging mafia
- 審判の犯罪組織
- lamented
- 嘆いた
- wowed
- あっと言わせた
- maneuvers
- 演技
- horizontal bar
- 鉄棒
- resulting in 〜
- その結果〜となった
- one judge on the panel
- 審判団のうちの一人
- evaluation
- 評価
- can of worms
- 解決困難な問題
- competition
- 競技会
- Beijing
- 北京
- stiff
- 厳しい
- eye examination
- 目の検査