Chinese judges cheated: Aussie shooter
Thursday, 14 August 2008
BEIJING, Aug 13 (AFP): A judging row flared on the Olympic shooting ranges after Australian veteran Russell Mark alleged that Chinese judges had helped a local win the Double Trap bronze medal.
Mark, 44, the Atlanta Games gold medallist who finished fifth in the event Tuesday, told the Australian media that local judges had awarded a hit to Chinese shooter Hu Binyuan even though he missed the target.
"One of them clearly he missed," Mark was quoted as saying by his country's media. "I don't think anyone out there thought he hit it. If that had been for a gold medal, I would have been protesting.
"The referees have to be in unison but there was a lot of doubt about a lot of the shots out there.
"I'm glad it wasn't for a gold medal because that is all that this Games would have been remembered for unfortunately."
Asked if the judges deliberately ruled in Hu's favour, Mark said: "I'd hate to think that but you get the feeling out there, when someone clearly misses, all the shooters out there can tell if he missed or hit it.
"Everybody stopped."
Mark said the judges may have been influenced by the boisterous crowd of 10,000 that cheered the Chinese shooter on.
Mark, 44, the Atlanta Games gold medallist who finished fifth in the event Tuesday, told the Australian media that local judges had awarded a hit to Chinese shooter Hu Binyuan even though he missed the target.
"One of them clearly he missed," Mark was quoted as saying by his country's media. "I don't think anyone out there thought he hit it. If that had been for a gold medal, I would have been protesting.
"The referees have to be in unison but there was a lot of doubt about a lot of the shots out there.
"I'm glad it wasn't for a gold medal because that is all that this Games would have been remembered for unfortunately."
Asked if the judges deliberately ruled in Hu's favour, Mark said: "I'd hate to think that but you get the feeling out there, when someone clearly misses, all the shooters out there can tell if he missed or hit it.
"Everybody stopped."
Mark said the judges may have been influenced by the boisterous crowd of 10,000 that cheered the Chinese shooter on.