by Roberto Alvarez-Galloso

Created on: August 16, 2008

The worst moment in Olympic History has to be the behaviour of Ara Abrahamian when he threw the bronze medal to the floor in the Beijing Olympics of 2008. Here is the story and my personal reflection of the disgrace that Ara Abrahamian gave to Sweden [his country] and the Beijing Olympics of 2008.

I. REACTION TO THE ANTI PROFESSIONAL BEHAVIOUR OF ARA ABRAHAMIAN

While Michael Phelps bask in the glory of receiving gold medals, and other athletes are content to receive any Olympic Medal: Ara Abrahamian who represents Sweden committed an act that disgraced his country by refusing his bronze medal, leaving the podium, refusing interviews, slamming the doors, declared that he was "robbed of the gold medal", and that he was "finished with wrestling". The behaviour of this errant "wrestler" was reinforced by his coach Leo Myllar who stated "it is all politics".

Never have I read about such anti Olympian Behaviour on the part of an athlete. There are athletes who would have done anything to even acquire one medal. At least, the kayak athlete from Togo did not complain about receiving a bronze medal. For the nation of Togo to receive a bronze medal was better than not receiving one at all. Mongolia is the recipient of one gold medal and silver medal at the time that I am writing this article. Mongolia is content to have any medal than not to have one.

Ara Abrahamian and Leo Myllar have behaved like they are small children who throw temper tantrums when they do not get things their way. Ara Abrahamian has even stated that he will "quit wrestling". Ara Abrahamian and Leo Myllar demonstrated their arrogance, insecurity, and infantile behaviour in front of the host nation The People's Republic of China and the world. I refuse to stoop to their level and judge a country such as Sweden on the basis of two frustrated people. I will judge the Swedish Olympic Team for their poor selection of a wrestler and a wrestling coach. Even Jesse Ventura [a former US Wrestler and Governor of Minnesota] had more dignity than the disaster called Abrahamian and Myllar. Jesse Ventura lost at times and maybe was in third and second place in wrestling but he took it in stride.

II. UPON RECEIVING THE NEWS THAT ARA ABRAHAMIAN WAS STRIPPED OF HIS BRONZE MEDAL AND BANNED FROM THE BEIJING OLYMPICS 2008

A person who is not content with the few things he or she has in life will lose them as well. The same has happened to Ara Abrahamian for discarding his bronze medal in an act of poor sportsmanship. The BBC,

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>