Thursday 25 August 2016

Missing Olympic Spirit

The Olympic Spirit?

Rio Olympics 2016: French athlete booed while receiving medal

Silver medalist Renaud Lavillenie reacts during the medal ceremony for the men's pole vault. Photo / Getty
Silver medalist Renaud Lavillenie reacts during the medal ceremony for the men's pole vault. Photo / Getty
Brazilian fans at Rio's Olympic Stadium ignored requests to behave themselves as French pole vaulter Renaud Lavillenie was greeted with a chorus of boos as he received his silver medal today.
Lavillenie reacted furiously to the partisan treatment he received during yesterday's tussle with local hero Thiago Da Silva, but it continued as he took to the podium in tears today.
"That is just wrong," former British runner Paula Radcliffe said on Twitter. "Ashamed of the track and field crowd tonight. Cheer your own as loud as you like but never disrespect the others."
The 22-year-old Brazilian beat the defending champion in a thrilling contest, but it was marred by large sections of the crowd booing Lavillenie's attempts.
The hostile atmosphere clearly unsettled the Frenchman, who gave fans the thumbs-down sign between attempts and in his first interview after the event likened his treatment to the reception America's black sprinter Jesse Owens received at the 1936 Olympics in Germany.
He apologised for that comment in the press conference later on but repeated his belief that booing rivals was unacceptable at the Olympics.
"If you get no respect in the Olympics, where can you get respect?" he said.
"If this is a nation where they only want Brazil and they spit on others, then you should not organise the Olympics."
In relation to Berlin 1936, he added: "In 1936 the crowd was against Jesse Owens. We've not see this since. We have to deal with it."
International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach described the booing that echoed around the stands during the medal ceremony as "shocking behaviour" that was "unacceptable at the Olympics".
The behaviour of the crowds in the venues - when there are crowds in the venues - has been a recurring theme during the Games, with athletes, coaches and officials frequently having to ask for quiet at key times.
But the Brazilian fans' football-style bonhomie has also created a great atmosphere in some venues, particularly when a home athlete or team were in action, or Argentina were playing.
But Mario Andrada, the spokesman for Rio 2016's organising committee, admitted on Tuesday that his compatriots went too far in the pole vault final.
"As an organising committee, and as a citizen of Brazil and a sports fan, we don't think booing is the right attitude, even when you're in one-to-one competition with a young Brazilian who has a chance to be the champion," said Andrada.
"We plan to intensify our dialogue with the Brazilian fans through social networks to make sure that they behave as fans in the proper and elegant manner without losing the passion for sport.
"Booing is not the right thing to do when you are competing at Olympic level."
The International Olympic Committee has largely avoided saying anything critical about Rio, Rio 2016's organisers or Brazilians fans, but its spokesman Mark Adams did say Olympic bosses would prefer it if "the passion is channelled in a good way".

38 comments:

  1. How does this article make you feel? Why?

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    1. Alice: If that was me I would I would feel unlicked and I would say to them if you can't say something nice say nothing at all.

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    2. HOLLY:if this was me I would feel very sad because they are basically bullying you and beating you up

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    3. Brie: sad if that was me I would say to the people can you stop because you would not like that if someone did that to you

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    4. Tyler:I feel horrified to how the Brazilians acted because I thought they were nice people in a nice country and they treat him like that there really lucky to have that country!

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    5. Minnie: This article sad for the French athlete because he would have practiced for four years to get into the olympics. And when he got booed by the crowd he would have felt discouraged so he could have made the jump but instead he didn't because of the crowd

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    6. Hannah W : It makes me feel horrified that the Brazilians have been acting like that.

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    7. BEDE: Heart broken because I would be inbarised and that

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    8. Bonnie: It would break my heart,because that is just so horrible and rude because it's not encourage them to keep on going.

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    9. Minnie: This article makes me feel sad for the French athlete because he would have practiced for four years to get into the olympics. And when he got booed by the crowd he would have felt discouraged so he could have made the jump but instead he didn't because of the crowd

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  2. Who is to blame for this happening?

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    1. Alice: Well, you could say the crowd and the Brazilain but I think there is no one to blame

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    2. Brie: well it could be the crowd

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    3. Tyler: The Brazilians because they treat that poor man doing pole vault and they treat him like that.

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    4. Hannah W : I don't know but I think it is the crowd.

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    5. Bonnie: The Brazilian members in the crowd.

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    6. BEDE: The Brazilian because the crowd we're booing the Frenchman and that's not the right way to say it.

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    7. Minnie: I think the Brazilian people are to blam for the booing because they were the people who booed

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    8. HOLLY:It could be the crowd and the Brazilians

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    9. Max:The Brazilian crowd because they showed bad sportsmanship to the French athlete.So he would fail to do he's best and the Brazilian athlete could win gold medal.

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  3. Write a short paragraph to the crowd who were booing ... tell them the possible effects of their actions.

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    1. Peter: I think that that is extremely bad sportsmanship, you can cheer your country on as much as you want but to boo another country is pure meanness. You should be extremely ashamed of yourselves. If you are to do this the you shouldn't be included in the Olympics.

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    2. Don't do that Brie

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    3. Alice: Don't be rude to this amazing athlete you has got a silver medal! Think about it, would you be proud of yourself if you got a silver medal?

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    4. Minnie: Did you have to say that, does it really matter if you get a gold or silver medal.
      Think about it, how would you feel if that was you would you like it?

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    5. Tyler: the French man could quit his sport and never ever play again or the whole sinario will possibly turn into a public warfare maybe even turning into war,hopefully not though.The gold medilest will probably feel bad for you the French.

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  4. What would you like to say to the French athlete?

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    1. Minnie: Forget about what people say around you just do your best and think about what you're doing.

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    2. Bonnie: forget about them,and think about all that hard work that got you a hat medal.

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    3. Raj:l feel very sorry that the crowd bood the French athlete doing his pole vaulting

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    4. Tyler: don't feel bad about yourself,just ignore all of it,feel confident and win your dream and just play as well as you could,and just feel good

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    5. Good thinking Bonnie!

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    6. BEDE: Just get over them now and show them who the boss.

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  5. Peter: I feel sad for you, you should ignore your surroundings and you are what you believe.

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  6. Ella: Forget about them just be you.

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  7. Devina: i agree with Bonnie they must of worked really hard

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  8. Sophia.S:I feel very sad for this french man especially if he was getting booed from the brazilians.I bet those brazilians on the seats were better than him.

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  9. Zoe: it must be hard getting bood at an olympic game

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