The sports world is not without scandalous news about disqualifications of participants in various competitions. Some of them cause indignation, others bewilderment and even laughter. But each of them leaves a trace and a special precedent in the history of sport.
Marathon Runners, Cars, and Doping
In 1904, the legendary 42 km 195 meter marathon took place in the USA. The conditions were harsh: dusty roads, extreme heat, and packs of stray dogs pouncing on participants along the route. Many did not make it to the finish line at all. The winner was Frederic Lors. But already at awarding him, one of the referees said that almost all the way, Lorz drove the car of a sympathetic fan. The safest online casino australia even offers several slots on this story.
The laurels of the winner went to Thomas Hicks, who was repeatedly injected with strychnine sulfate, a potent doping agent, by his coach during the route. But in those days, there was no punishment for such things.
Alcohol Instead of Sedative
A rather strange story took place in Mexico in the 60s at a pentathlon competition. Swedish athlete Hans-Gunnar Lilenvoll received a bronze medal. But it was soon taken away after the athlete was found guilty of doping. But here, the line-up was interesting.
It turned out that before the competition, the man allowed himself to drink several cans of beer. He explained the act with strong excitement. Strangely, the results of the analyses were published only after the awarding.
Mass Disqualification
More recently, in 2013, an entire sport almost became disqualified. After Yulia Anikeeva was appointed president of the Russian Basketball Association, the question of the legitimacy of the election became acute. The International Federation refused to accept the choice. Although the situation was partially resolved, the junior national team was unable to participate in the European Championship, and the Russian team lost its rank.
Money or Honour
The main reasons for disqualification in sport are:
- rule violations;
- ethical offenses;
- doping;
- errors in the registration documents for competitions.
But these are not all. And even in such an aristocratic sport as big tennis, there has been a serious scandal. Back in 2015, 21-year-old South African athlete Joshua Chetty offered his opponent $2,000 for his own victory. In the end, attempts to “merge” the match led to the opponent not taking the money but appealing to the authorities.
As a result, Joshua received a lifetime disqualification from the sport for his attempt to organize a contract fight.
All Nations Against Nazism
One of the most provocative and unusual disqualifications took place in 2013 at a match between AEK Athens and Veria. After the winning goal, 20-year-old Greek footballer Giorgos Katidis displayed the all-too-famous Nazi gesture with an outstretched arm. With this, he excited not only the fans but also the entire world community. Photos spread around the boarding school lightning fast.
The Greek Football Federation decided to disqualify the athlete for life for propaganda of Nazism. At the same time, the guy himself assured that he did not put any hints in his act and did not know about the symbolism of the gesture at all.
Payment for Wars
The sporting community reacts to injustice and wars as harshly as peaceful people. In 1920, Austria, Germany, Turkey, Hungary, and Bulgaria had to pay for their aggression. The reverberations of World War I lingered, and these countries were banned from participating in the Olympic Games in any sport. History repeated itself with Japan and Germany and after WWII in 1948.
An Eye for an Eye, a Tooth for a Tooth
Sometimes, a country itself can be disqualified just because of one person. For example, in 2010, the Nigerian national team crashed out of the World Cup without a single victory in the group stage. Guided by personal ambitions, the country’s president, Goodluck Jonathan, announced the disqualification of the team and a ban on future participation in international and even regional competitions. But FIFA regarded the action as interference in the internal politics of sports federations. And threatened personal disqualification for all Nigerian teams. As a result, the national team was suspended from the games for only 4 days after long proceedings.