Shani Davis Robbed of Gold Medal

Olympics Forum

I know I'm late but I friend showed me race Shani Davis and unless she has edit tape, I don't see a jump start?! Where is the movement?Suspiciously the only one called during Olympics and the leader was a Italian?!

Why US olympic team did not appeal? Why hasn't media made into controversy? American people not angry?

Conservative media seem to have made bigger story out of some skater who had to withdraw ( forgot name) or Bode Miller some skier who was expected to win.

Why can't the 1st Black to win an individual Gold Medal get same attention. This validates what Gumbel said.

I saw the race....I agree, I didnt see much there as well. But sometimes we dont see what the refs see. Since other countries are involved and this isnt just the U.S., are you perhaps implying that all countries are prejudiced? Nonetheless...I didnt see it either...but I guarantee you that this wasnt the first time this has happened...and since we know it was not...would you be willing to stand up for the white guy that it happened to as well?

Shani Davis has had alot of press over his history making event of being the first African American to win individual gold. Its great.

I know many skaters at times attribute false starts as a reason why they didnt win....but, I dont necessarily buy that. If they feel the need to not begin at the same time, then arent they really trying to get the edge, therefore get the win?

One false start just means that each person has to begin at the sound of the gun. If Davis is saying didnt beat Fabris because he didnt get an edge..thats pathetic.

The guy is great..no doubt about it....as an indivudual he is great...unfortunately, as a team player...he isnt.

I saw the press conferences....Ill take it that you missed the press conference where he and Chad said some things...he then said something, and then left. What did Chad say? Oh yes...something to the effect of "just like Shani." Lets face it...he wasnt a team member...he put himself out there to not belong...and he did a good job of it.

On the other hand.....Chad Hendricks...Im not thrilled with him either. Here's a guy who admitted that he did not come to the games to win anything but gold....and to him, I would say...its an honor to even be there. Winning gold is nice, but its not everything.

I remember watching a skiing event...it was the same race the same race that Ted Ligety took gold ...this guy, whoever he was, ended up with silver...he was from Croatia...the guy was crying he was so happy. He was just happy to medal, he could have cared less about the color of the damn thing.

To me....that was one of the greatest moments in these olympics.

So many times I saw two people of the same country..one with gold, the other with whatever...and the person standing on the gold medal podium invited their teammate up on the podium with them while they played their anthem. I saw the Canadians do it and other countries as well.

Did the Americans do it? If anyone did it, I dont remember it.

Bottom line..its all about sportsmanship...some athletes were just happy to even get to the Olympics...others, like Shani and Chad...they are just their for the medals...at leat thats the lasting impression I got. To busy wanting to win so bad that they forgot what sportsmanship was all about.

One thing about this Malcolm...its not about the color of the skin...its about how one plays the game.

Let not forget Vonetta Flowers was the first African American women to win a Gold Medal in any Winter Olympic sport. It may have not been individual but it was a memorable event. If you want class, look to her...she is what being a true athlete is.

Rather than celebrating his victory , like other Olympic champio0ns, his victory is being deminish by those who questoned his decision not ot participate in an team event that COULD HELP TEAMMATE Chad Henrick, WIN RECORD TYING 5 GOLD MEDALS. Why this part of story ignored? Why isn't Henrick call selfish?

outsports.com, observed:

" We're not alone in complaining about bias at Torino. Anybody who doubts RACISM is rampant in winter sports should follow the hateful thread in a lanslide of Shani Davis postings to message boards during the last few days. The anti's are boiling over not just because they think he's selfish, but because he's Black"


It is about race. Every sport's about race. Denying promblem only helps the promblem

Shani Davis sets new world recod in 1500m in speedskating. Record was held by teammate Chad Henrick whom was crtical of Shani. Ironically, this is same race in Olympics that some say he was cheated out of gold medal.

Mystic agrees

For me, if I were competing in the Olympics and was asked to race in an event before my most coveted race (the reason why I was at the Olympics in the first place), I would respectfully decline as well. My focus would be, and SHOULD be, on winning my individual medal. No added energy should be expended on any other race, especially if it doesn't interest me, and if it wasn't on my agenda from the beginning.

Call me selfish. Call me "not a team player". Last I saw and heard, speed skating is an INDIVIDUAL sport. I personally don't think that Chad and the rest of the team had any right to be that critical of Shani. Was it race-related? I don't know. All I DO know, is that Shani won the race he came to Torino for. He was focussed on it, and he performed better than everyone else.

Chad's a monster though... The guy placed third in that event, didn't he?