SWEDISH WRESTLER BANNED FOR TWO YEARS FOR OLYMPIC MEDAL PROTEST

The Canadian Press
Nov 6 2008

GENEVA — The Swedish wrestler who dropped his medal in protest at
the Beijing Olympics has been banned for two years along with his
coach for "scandalous behaviour."

Wrestling’s governing body, known as FILA, suspended Ara Abrahamian
and coach Leo Myllari on Thursday and banned Sweden’s wrestling
federation from hosting international events for two years.

FILA also fined Abrahamian 3,000 Swiss francs (C$2,995), Myllari 10,000
Swiss francs (C$9,990) and the Swedish federation 50,000 Swiss francs
(C$49,940).

In a statement, FILA president Raphael Martinetti said the Swedes
showed a "serious lack of Olympic spirit."

Abrahamian disputed a penalty call which decided his semifinal bout
against Andrea Minguzzi in the Greco-Roman 84-kilogram division. The
Italian went on to win the gold medal. Abrahamian won his bronze medal
bout after his coach reportedly argued with judges and accused them
of corruption. During the medal ceremony, the Armenian-born wrestler
took the bronze medal from his neck and dropped it on the mat as he
walked away.

The International Olympic Committee stripped Abrahamian of the medal
and expelled him from the Games after ruling he violated the Olympic
charter and was disrespectful to other medallists.

The Swiss-based wrestling body opened its own investigation and
published its findings Thursday.

Martinetti said the decision by the judges in Beijing in the disputed
bout was made according to the rules.

"The coach has been judged equally guilty since he did not intervene
to calm his wrestler," FILA secretary general Michel Dusson told The
Associated Press in a telephone interview. "And the federation was
responsible for the behaviour of its members, the wrestler and the
coach, which was reprehensible."

The punishments took effect Nov. 3. The parties have 21 days to appeal
the verdicts to FILA.

The cases could then go to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in
Lausanne, Switzerland, where Abrahamian is also contesting the IOC
rulings.

He won a first CAS hearing in August to establish that he was not
given fair rights to protest the result of his disputed bout. He is
now waiting for CAS to hear an appeal to downgrade his IOC expulsion
to a warning.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress