Row over Hungary’s lost Winter Olympics gold

A left-wing commentator believes the government should protest against the disqualification of the Hungarian winner of the speed skating short track event in Peking. A pro-government commentator expresses his outrage at the judges’ decision.

In Népszava, Tamás Rónay wonders why Hungary’s leaders, so famous for their interest in sports, did not protest when Shaolin Sándor Liu, the Hungarian winner of the 1000-meter speed skating event was stripped of his gold at the Beijing Winter Olympics on Monday. He recalls that during the Euro 20 Football championship, Foreign Minister Szíjjártó criticised the British and the German authorities for what he saw as their harsh treatment of Hungarian fans. He speculates whether this time, they are suppressing their anger because of their political and business ties with Communist China.

On 888, Dániel Bohár praises the Hungarian skater for his sportsmanship in congratulating the eventual Chinese winner, and calls him the real Olympic champion. (On the basis of video replays, Liu was disqualified for two infringements. As a result, his brother who came in 4^th was awarded the bronze medal. The two Liu brothers are sons of a Chinese father and a Hungarian mother.) Bohár calls the British judge who disqualified Shaolin Sándor Liu ‘wicked, unjust and a dream-destroyer’. He refers to photos showing the Chinese gold medalist pulling back the Hungarian skater with both hands in the final stretch.

Tags: China, Olympic Games