The London 2012 Olympics Games have so far been bizarre, full of conflicts, disqualifications, and even attempts to throw games. And as if all that’s not enough, one of the biggest controversies of the games occurred on Monday, July 30, during a semifinal fencing match for the women’s epee competition.
With a few seconds left on the clock, South Korea’s Shin A-lam, 25, and Germany’s Britta Heidermann, 29, were tied 5-5. If neither of them had scored during those final seconds, Shin would have been given priority, and awarded the win. She would then have proceeded onto the final match, with a chance at gold.
However, time was not on her side. Shin was sure she had won, when, to her horror, the clock was reset from zero back to one, giving Heidermann the chance to score. The match ended 5-6, with Heidermann declared the winner. Enraged, the Korean Federation formally filed an appeal, which was deliberated over for an hour. Shin was required to remain on the piste during the discussion, as part of the rules. Finally, after a lengthy delay, the judges announced that the outcome would remain unchanged. The fencer was then escorted off. As she was led away, the spectators gave her a standing ovation.
Shin and her coach, Shim Jae-sung, weren’t the only ones outraged by the final decision. Others heard the news, and expressed their disapproval as well. “I think that the game was unfair, because that one second determined Shin A-lam’s fate of winning a medal…She’s been waiting for 4 years for this moment, and how one second messed everything up is heartbreaking. I think the judges should’ve at least done a rematch to make it fair”, said Alice Hong, grade 10, Whitney High School.
A timing error cost Shin her victory and deprived her a chance to duel in the final match. The South Korean fencer will now have to wait four more years for another chance at gold.
