Mark Wright’s Blog

This year’s Olympics have been interesting to say the least.  Now I know that I said that I wouldn’t watch them, but it is really hard not to.  Since I spend a fair amount of time in bars, they are usually on the TV.  You have some great stories such as Michael Phelps quest to win 8 gold medals in an Olympics to accusations of China using underage gymnasts to compete.  I guess you have to be at least 16 years old.  I think that is a dumb rule so I won’t acknowledge it.  If you can win with a 10-year-old, by all means let them have their day in the smog. 

However, I found an example of sportsmanship that I felt compelled to share.  Swedish wrestler Ara Abrahamian, threw his Bronze medal away because he was unhappy with the judges’ decision from a previous bout that kept him from wrestling for a Gold medal.  He voiced his displeasure and had to be restrained by his teammates to keep him from going after the offending judges.  Yikes.  He grudgingly stood on the medal podium for the ceremony, took his medal and then decided it would look better in the middle of one of the wrestling mats than around his neck.  The medal was later returned to the sport’s governing body unharmed. 

Ara, Ara, Ara, what are you thinking dude?  Now I can understand being frustrated at your job and the boss not giving you a decision that you like, but I’m not going to take my laptop and put it in the middle of the office.  It is a freaking Olympic medal.  Granted Gold and Silver are nicer than Bronze but it is an Olympic medal.  You are probably only about one of maybe six people in the country that has an Olympic medal.  Be proud of it.  I hope the Olympic officials don’t give it back to him.  However, if the Olympics ever decides to make tantrum throwing or bad sportsmanship an Olympic event, I think that elusive Gold medal is well within your reach.