The bronze medalist in steeplechase threw a moon

August 24, 2001 10:45 AM

The bronze medalist in steeplechase threw a moon after his race and had his medal stripped at the Canada games. Is it fair to penalize him as much as a drug offender in sports would be penalized, or should his medal be reinstated following an apology?
posted by mikel (20 comments total)

Oh, how I'd love to see a picture of this, right alongside the classic Mexico '68 black power salute.
posted by msacheson at 10:50 AM on August 24, 2001

Picture
posted by Mick at 11:06 AM on August 24, 2001

and Brandi Chastain gets a Wheaties contract for ripping her top off. oh yeah, and keeps her Gold medal.
posted by donkeysuck at 11:27 AM on August 24, 2001

I thought "steeplechase" involved horses... this looks like hurtles - or is this one of those Canadian language barrier things? (eh?)
posted by hotdoughnutsnow at 11:35 AM on August 24, 2001

From the article linked by Mick:

"I think if that happened in Quebec that would be OK," Blouin said Thursday afternoon as he arrived at the Montreal train station after being sent home from the competition.
...
"It's a Quebec tradition," he said.

So that's what they mean by "distinct society".
posted by iceberg273 at 11:39 AM on August 24, 2001

i think a steeplechase is basically a hurdles race with bigger hurdles. contestants have to approach them at a run and plant one foot on top of the hurdle to get over. i believe that there is also water involed, in the form of a small pool on the far side of the hurdle.

is this true?
posted by o2b at 11:48 AM on August 24, 2001

1968 black power salute
posted by o2b at 11:52 AM on August 24, 2001

o2b: yes, correct. i don't know if the foot plant is required. the runner can hurdle if they are able to but it is easier to clear the water if you push off the barrier.
posted by donkeysuck at 12:17 PM on August 24, 2001

That is stupid. If they had stripped the medal based on him being unfunny, then fair enough.
posted by Atom Heart Mother at 12:22 PM on August 24, 2001

1968 black power salute (working)
posted by sylloge at 12:28 PM on August 24, 2001

Stupid. If you win the race, you win the race. I don't have to like you or approve of your behavior to acknowledge you the winner.
posted by rushmc at 2:53 PM on August 24, 2001

Daniel Blouin comes in third in the steeplechase. Furious, he pulls out a gun and shoots the first and second place runners. Although the organizers disapprove of his behavior, they award him the bronze medal.

It's all a matter of degree
posted by skyscraper at 3:18 PM on August 24, 2001

Of course he should get the bronze medal. He won it.

Then he should go to jail.
posted by rushmc at 4:19 PM on August 24, 2001

Okay, I take it all back. The mascot of the games, seen upper left here, is not wearing any pants. I'd say there's a question of double standards here.
posted by skyscraper at 5:00 PM on August 24, 2001

no, his medal should not be stripped from him, it should not have been that severe. a strong warning would've been sufficient. but now that it has been, it should not be returned, as a decision is a decision.

if he left the mooning to just a few hours later, when he was in a local pub drinking up his celebration, then everything would've been ok. his stripped medal will remain a harsh reminder of uncontrolled emotions.
posted by dai at 7:03 PM on August 24, 2001

a harsh reminder of uncontrolled emotions.

...emotion...bad...must...not...feel...
posted by rushmc at 8:53 PM on August 24, 2001

FYI: in these parts. it's pull a moon.
posted by ParisParamus at 8:59 PM on August 24, 2001

Okay, this time somebody (surely not the media) blew the "moon" way out of proportion and got the guy's bronze medal taken away.

If you look at the picture you'll see that in fact the guy didn't moon the crowd. He wasn't even in the stadium! That picture is not taken at the stadium. I'm guessing that it was taken at the warmup track where only some athletes, coaches and hanger-ons would have seen him.

Given the poor bastard his medal back, he trained for it, he raced for it, he earned it! He's perfectly entitled to have some fun with his fellow competitors away from the stadium glare (where, shock horror, he might offend a little old grannie or some puffed-up official).
posted by Option1 at 11:46 PM on August 24, 2001

And now I'll point out that I F***ED UP. I thought it was a reference to an episode at the recent World Championships, rather than some semi-scuzzy Canadian Games event. Hence the picture may have been taken at the "stadium". Although, judging by the seating and the huge crowd present, it's not much of a stadium.

Either way he still deserves his medal and they should give it back.
posted by Option1 at 11:49 PM on August 24, 2001

dropping trou is so much less offensive than the arrogant crap the Americans pulled in Sydney, IMHO.
posted by brigita at 11:07 AM on August 25, 2001