Bad Sportsmanship Stories? Canada Summer Games 2001

On Wednesday, I wrote about Good Sportsmanship Stories. Now we need some bad ones.

I remember the 1972 Olympics Basketball final where the USA lost to the Soviet Union after 3 disputed calls by the referee going against the Americans. They boycotted the medal ceremony and to this day the 12 silver medals remain in the IOC vault, waiting to be claimed. I really can’t blame them for boycotting although it may appear they were showing bad sportsmanship at the time.

Who can blame them? Watch the Bud Greenspan videos and I’ll let you be the judge if they really got screwed.

Then of course there was Daniel Blouin of Quebec at the 2001 Canada Summer Games who finished 3rd in the 3000 meter steeplechase. In the excitement, after receiving his bronze medal, Blouin pulled a “mooner” to the crowd and was immediately disqualified from the bronze medal and was sent home immediately.

Geez, at least raising your fist on the podium gets you sent home… You still get to keep your medal.

But at the end, the 4th place finisher gave the bronze medal back to Blouin anyways.

Canada Summer Games – Stars of Tomorrow?

The Canada Summer Games were developed as a grass roots launching pad for the Olympic stars of tomorrow. The Games are held 1 year after the Olympics, and you could potentially see those athletes at the Olympics within 7 years.

I had the misfortune of competing against Bruny Surin and Eldrick Floreal at the 1985 Canada Summer Games. And we know what they did in 1992 and 1996!

Two of the many athletes from the 2001 Canada Summer Games that come to mind for the 2008 Olympics are Reid Coolsaet and Heptathlete Jessica Zelinka. For those who are following Coolsaet today, his PB for 5000m is 13:21.53 just outside of the IAAF “A” standard of 13:21.50.

And who was that 4th place Steeplechase finisher gave the bronze medal back to Blouin? Reid Coolsaet!