Speedskater Olivier Jean victim of alleged skate tampering at world championships

Goober

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American speedskater may have tampered with Canadian skates | Sports | National Post

Speedskater Olivier Jean victim of alleged skate tampering at world championships

They knew at the time there was a problem with the skate blade, but there was no way of knowing that Canadian short-track speedskater Olivier Jean was potentially the victim of international sabotage, and not mere equipment malfunction.

Jean, a 28-year-old Olympic veteran from Montreal, was entered in a race at the season-ending world championships last year in Warsaw, Poland. It was the 5,000-metre relay, a race Jean and his Canadian teammates had won at the Vancouver Olympics a year earlier.

But in Poland, he could not race.

“After the first lap of the relay, I saw it was impossible for me to skate,” he told reporters on Thursday, in a translation provided by Speed Skating Canada. “One of my blades was broken. At the time we didn’t understand what happened. It was hard to explain.”

Canada finished fourth in the race.

On Wednesday, a report published in the Chicago Tribune contained an allegation that might explain what happened. A skater with a team from the United States is alleged to have tampered with Jean’s skates that day in Poland, allegedly at the behest of his coach.

U.S. Speedskating has reportedly suspended Jae Su Chun, the coach now at the centre of a bona fide scandal. The filings include allegations of physical, verbal and mental abuse the coach heaped on his athletes.

None of the allegations have been proven.

It has been alleged the coach told his athletes to be “obnoxious” around Canadian skaters in Poland, a directive that caused, “great distress among the [U.S.] skaters who were fearful as to what would happen to them if they did not follow Jae Su’s highly inappropriate direction.”

And then, the most explosive allegation in the document: That the coach told U.S. skater Simon Cho to tamper with Jean’s skates, a strategy that ultimately proved effective in competition, but also one that provided the athlete with a helping of personal torment.

“It is my darkest secret and I regret it,” Cho allegedly told a teammate this summer.

That same day, July 9, Cho told a teammate: “Just keep your mouth … shut and nobody has to get screwed.”

Cho, who won bronze with the U.S. in the 5,000-metre relay in Vancouver, is not listed among the 13 claimants. National Public Radio has provided the document on its website.

After telling a teammate to keep quiet about the alleged tampering, Cho gave a second warning: “Corner me and see what happens. Maybe I’ll defend Jae Su and … everyone and it will be 100% your fault. Your choice.”

A day later, on July 10, Cho seemed resolved to his fate, allegedly telling a teammate: “I know I’ve done … things. I wish I could take them back. But I can’t … and I’m preparing myself for the consequences.”

Speed Skating Canada released a statement late Thursday afternoon.

“Through arbitration filing documents in the United States, it has come to our attention that a member of the U.S. speed skating national team may have tampered with the skates of a Canadian team skater during the 2011 World Short Track Team Championships,” the release stated. “As this is a legal matter before the courts, SSC, and its national team members, will not be further discussing this issue until the conclusion and resolutions from the court proceedings, or at another appropriate time.”

Jean also had a fourth-place finish (1,500-metre) and a ninth-place finish (500-metre) in Vancouver two years ago, on top of the gold medal he won in the relay.

“We hope to never have this in our sport,” he said, in the translation provided by Speed Skating Canada. “We always wish to have a clean sport, that everyone has a team spirit.”

Jean declined an interview request from the National Post.

“I really forgot about the issue until last night,” Jean said through the translation. “You can’t change the past.”
 

Goober

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I wonder what punishment, for those involved will be appropriate for such an act.

Lifetime ban comes to mind.
 

Mowich

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The allegations of abuse by some US team members are really disturbing, if true. Will be interesting to see what comes out of the investigation.
 

shadowshiv

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“I really forgot about the issue until last night,” Jean said through the translation. “You can’t change the past.”

If the allegations end up being proven to be true, then yes you can change the past. At least in this instance. You can strip the Americans of the bronze they won, and award it to the Canadians. Also, a lifetime ban for the coach, and the athletes that were guilty should definitely be punished in some way.
 

Mowich

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“I really forgot about the issue until last night,” Jean said through the translation. “You can’t change the past.”

If the allegations end up being proven to be true, then yes you can change the past. At least in this instance. You can strip the Americans of the bronze they won, and award it to the Canadians. Also, a lifetime ban for the coach, and the athletes that were guilty should definitely be punished in some way.

Good point, Shadow.......hadn't thought of that.
 

shadowshiv

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Good point, Shadow.......hadn't thought of that.


In the past, they've awarded an additional medal to the team/competitor next in line that lost a medal due to improprieties of the judges of that event. They didn't strip the other team of their medals in that case, but in this case the perpetrators were another team that won a medal. So, they should have their medal stripped from them and Canada given the medal in their place. Of course, only if the allegations are proven to be true.