08/01/2012, 00.00
GREAT BRITAIN - ASIA
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London 2012, eight Asian Badminton players under investigation for "lack of commitment"

The female athletes whistled by audience and reprimanded by referee, are now under investigation by the Federation. They come from South Korea (two couples), China and Indonesia. The 16 year old Ye Shiwen of China also wins 200 medley; wrath of bloggers for the "shameful" allegations of doping against her. The American Phelps becomes a legend, with the 19th Olympic medal.

London (AsiaNews) - On the fifth day of competitions, the 2012 London Olympics has registered its first sporting scandal and the protagonists are female athletes of Asian origin. The Badminton World Federation is in fact investigating eight players in doubles for "not using one's best efforts to win a match." The four pairs under investigation for their meager efforts are from South Korea (two pairs), from China and Indonesia and all risk heavy disciplinary measures. Meanwhile, yesterday during the Games U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps was crowned the most successful Olympian in history - 19 medals in total, including 15 golds, one silver and three bronze - and the Olympic double for 16 year old Ye Shiwen of China in the 200m medley, the true revelation of this Games.

An official note of the Badminton World Federation confirms that the four pairs are under investigation and could face sanctions " not using one's best efforts to win a match." The players " behaved in a manner that is clearly harmful or offensive" to "the sport". The judges are focusing on the attitude on court of Chinese Yu Yang and Wang Xiaoli and South Korean Jung Kyung-eun and Kim Ha-na for the first match; in the second the duo Ha Jung-Eun and Kim Min-Jung (South Korea), together with the Indonesian Juahari Meiliana and Greysia Polii are being investigated.

In yesterday's matches the athletes are charged with trying to lose with intentional errors - shots into the net, blunders, lack of commitment - in order to progress to the next round against opponents of a lesser caliber. Even the spectators during matches repeatedly booed the players, while the competition judge on several occasions pointed out a conduct contrary to sportsmanship and respect for the paying public.

Someone who instead spared nothing in his efforts to achieve a record number of wins was U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps, who thanks to the two medals won yesterday, becomes the most successful athlete in the history of the Olympic Games: 19 medals won in four different Games, against 18 won by Russian gymnast Larissa Latynina Semyonova between 1956 and 1964. Yesterday the Baltimore shark came second in the 200 Dolphin, his race, which he trumped in  three editions of the Games (thus winning his first Silver), and the gold medal in the 4x200 freestyle relay, thanks to a masterful performance by his team, which lead right from the first: a thrilling last 25 meters, with the entire poolside arena cheering on the greatest swimmer (and perhaps the best athlete) in Olympic history.

Also yesterday, the Chinese swimmer, Ye Shiwen (pictured), a rising swim-star, clocked a double after the 400 medley by also winning the 200m, this time however without annihilating her opponents with performance on par or even higher than male athletes. Her triumph in the 400 had given rise to doubts and suspicions, which led to a not-so-veiled doping charge by a member of the U.S. federation. Some even went as far as to intimate "genetic manipulation", but the victory of yesterday won thanks to progress in the last 50 meters freestyle returned a "human" dimension to the sixteen year-old's success, who concluded by saying: "I did not expect others be so strong, but I could not afford to lose the race. "

Moreover, China's internet users have vented their anger on the net, defending their young darling and rebuffing any allegations of fraud or manipulation. Some, in posts published on Sina.com described the accusations as "shameful", and is indicative of a "petty" mentality. Others speak of West's "desperation" it being "scared" by the "rise" of China.

Finally, another first that needs to be highlighted was a medal for Egypt, conquered by the fencer Alaaeldin Abouelkassem who finished second in the individual competition, taking home a well deserved silver.

Meanwhile China continues to dominate the medals table, with 13 golds in four days of competition, six silvers and four bronzes for a total of 23 medals. Even the United States, ranking second overall, has only won 23 medals overall, distributed as follows: nine golds, eight silvers and six bronzes. In third place is France, followed by South Korea - three golds, two silvers, three bronzes - and a surprising North Korea, capable of producing three gold-medal athletes, and also winning a bronze for a total of four medals.

 

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