U.S. Boxing Team Calling a Foul on Judging

Washington Post ^ | August 15, 2008 | Les Carpenter

[Shermy]

BEIJING, Aug. 15 -- In a hallway of the Beijing Workers Gymnasium on Friday night U.S. boxer Raynell Williams buried his head in a towel, leaned against a door and wondered just what it was he had done so wrong on an evening when he appeared to do everything right.

A few feet away, his coach Dan Campbell, gnawed on a toothpick and glared.

"I just called back to the people in the tape room and everybody said it was (expletive)," Campbell said after Williams lost a second round fight he looked to have decisively won against France's Khedafi Djelkhir. Williams "was landing three shots to one."

In an Olympics boxing competition where judging has become such a topic that the head of the boxing judges had to call a news conference on Friday to say he is pretty certain the men in his charge are not corrupt and he doesn't believe they are incompetent, it was hard to sell to the U.S. contingent that both didn't somehow apply.

"We're talking about a lot of punches that didn't get counted," Campbell said. "I think we're talking about eight points" that Wlliams should have had. "That's crazy."

Then again, crazy seemed to be a theme on Friday. Five hours before the Williams fight, Terry Smith, the head delegate of the International Amateur Boxing Association sat under a bank of television lights and tried to dispel growing complaints that the judging at this Olympics has deteriorated into a farce. Particularly in the case of the host country China, which has almost no recent boxing history and yet whose fighters have managed to win 11 of 15 fights -- many under dubious circumstances.

If Smith meant to squelch the criticism he hardly sounded convincing...

[misterrob]

Hey, it’s good preparation for the pros. God knows we have seen some major screw jobs that even Vince McMahon of the WWE would snicker at.

[acw011]

Didn’t see it, but I watched the girls Gymnastics last night and the judges seemed against USA. The announcers where all over it.

[mware]

I remember the boxing matches during the Olympics held in Korea.

It may be time to end boxing as a sport in the Olympics.

[AprilfromTexas]

looks china wants to win the medal count at all costs and events with subjective judging (instead of an obvious winner) will probably go to them...welcome to communism folks

[Shermy]

Was in favor of the Chinese gymnasts?

Despite the beginning paragraphs of this article, most of the rest involves international allegations against judges favoring Chinese boxers.

[Shermy]

Or some good hacking of the counting equipment.

[Citizen Blade]

Nobody seemed to buy his answers.

"You need to watch the China fights," a Cuban reporter said, standing up and moving toward Smith.

When the Cubans call bs on your judging, you know it's blatant.

Underage gymnasts, corruption in the boxing events, judges at the women's gymnastics deliberately delaying the start for an American gymnast to break her concentration. China is really showing its true colors here.

[MplsSteve]

The sad part about this is that it’s happening not just in boxing.

Anyone who has watched any gymnastics over the last few days has seen US gymnasts (male and female) get scored lower than their Chinese counterparts for doing the same routine.

Maybe there are some Freepers out there who are knowledgable about gymnastics and would beg to differ. I’d definitely like to hear from them

[Psycho_Bunny]

It’s bizarre that boxing is in the Olympics in the first place.

[gubamyster]

The boxing scoring system is terrible. Many punches are landed and no points are given. Even the announcers keep saying that someone is going to get a knockout without scoring a point. Then when a boxer gets a point or two down to his opponent, it is almost impossible to come back. The other boxers, especially the Chinese, are holding on like a dance routine.

[acw011]

It was a bit obvious for the Chinese last night. The U.S. girls had to be absolutely perfect and they were.

[KarlInOhio]

but I watched the girls Gymnastics last night and the judges seemed against USA. The announcers where all over it.

Did you see the replay of Béla Károlyi's reaction during the floor exercise? I have to say that the man is excited about gymnastics.

[longtermmemmory]

There is a strong “cheer against the american” sentiment at many olympic venues as a rule over the years.

[acw011]

I don’t think you have to be an expert to see how obvious the girls gymnastics BS was. I watched the whole thing and I’m far from an expert, it was obvious.

Plus the “TV Experts” were all over it.

Bela Karolyi was great last night.

[Thrusher]

I have to say I was pretty flabbergasted by the gymnastics judging last night. When that Chinese girl wobbled all over the balance beam on what was clearly not a very difficult routine, and then scored like a 16.1, I was incredulous. And Johnson was way underscored on the uneven bars.

When even the NBC commentators say something about it, you know its bad.

[BallyBill]

I been around for along time and have always followed the Olympics. Any sport that is scored by judges isn't worth getting upset over. I mean nothing against the sport or the athletes, but sometimes the judging is just drop on the floor laughingly ridiculous. (ROFL!)

[Shermy]

I have no ability to reckon the judging in that sport,

But I did see the girl “vault” the other night,

and at the time sensed she was waiting for an announcement that didn’t come.

[andyandval]

These boxers are fine athlectics

[PajamaTruthMafia]

The other teams should simply withdraw and put an end to the farce.