Yeah I would be embarrassed to be Benabad. It is one thing if the cut ACTUALLY makes a difference (e.g. that you lost by .5 seconds or something) but he was thoroughly beaten. Pu$$y.
He was holding up 3 fingers after crossing the line (as if he was third) so he must have thought it was a serious infraction.
So glad Evan's silver didn't come via this decision.
You can see the Mekhissi throw up three fingers several times at the finish line. He knew he would be third. Say what you want about him, I wouldn't feel too good about the medal either, but rules are rules and Kemboi definitely did not take the water jump the second time around. He goes over the barrier but lands inside the water jump. You can see a flag go up, I don't think anyone protested it.
Can't really see what happened on the 2nd water jump, but this is the link to the nbc stream...
http://stream.nbcolympics.com/track-and-field-day-12-morning
Look 2:26:00 into the stream for the steeple
If anything, Kemboi should be awarded the 'olympic spirit' medal for his fake bald haircut. I laughed when he came on screen at the start line.
You can see the Mekhissi throw up three fingers several times at the finish line. He knew he would be third.
All this for a bronze (second loser) medal?
For a gold I could see why you'd protest against a cheater.
But here, I'd think it should be much ado about nothing.
Maybe the French are just different.
Again, the flag goes up at the barrier and as I recall Mekhissi was still running the race at the time and not filing a protest.
It'd be one thing if Mekhissi had been anywhere close, but he was dropped halfway into the race. Lame protest. One more reason--of many--to root against him.
Does anyone have proof that Mekhissi filed the protest or was it just a race official that caught it and made the call?
Either way the bronze medal in the men's steeple is now just as tainted as any medal won by a doper.
You don't normally do that to a friend of yours do you?
i think wrote:
it looks like kemboi landed on the inside of the track inside water pit while passing the french athlete on teh 2nd water jump around 2:20 in the race
If the French actually protested over Kemboi stepping inside at 2:20 in the race, that's ridiculous. Whether it's a technical grounds for a DQ or not, it's a ridiculous thing to protest when it couldn't have had any conceivable outcome on the race and didn't harm Mekissi in any way. It's no better than high school refs DQing girls for earrings or wrong-colored underwear. It's just using crappy technicalities to get an advantage an athlete couldn't get through actual competition. If Mekissi gets bronze, it's tainted.
The Single Voice of Reason wrote:
It'd be one thing if Mekhissi had been anywhere close, but he was dropped halfway into the race. Lame protest. One more reason--of many--to root against him.
You guys are all missing the point - he didn't file a protest. A protest can only be filed on an impedance. This isn't the 2995m steeple minus one water, it's the 3000m steeple. Maybe if he actually took the barrier he would have been gased just a bit more at the finish, allowing Mekhissi to catch him outright. But we'll never know that because he never ran the full race. The race has 7 water jumps. You don't think skipping one would affect your performance?
I'm torn on this one. On the one hand, the rules are the rules. On the other, it clearly didn't matter here. Just like the lack of a kerb in Almaz's 10k "WR".
Kinda like falling over at the finish line really, eh?
Valedictorian wrote:
Does anyone have proof that Mekhissi filed the protest or was it just a race official that caught it and made the call?
Either way the bronze medal in the men's steeple is now just as tainted as any medal won by a doper.
Mekhissi came through the finish with three fingers up claiming he was third at that point. I don't know if the officials instigated the formal protest, but while the race was finishing, Mekhissi was clearly indicating Kemboi had fouled.
Kemboi should know better. It's a bad way to get on a podium, but the rule is pretty clear.
Third place might actually make more than minimum wage this year as a result..
On the one hand, the rules are the rules
On the other, it clearly didn't matter here
The rules actually address this.
163. 4. An athlete shall not be disqualified if he ...
(b) steps or runs outside his lane in the straight, any straight part of the diversion from the track for the steeplechase water jump or outside the outer line of his lane on the bend, with no material advantage thereby being gained and no other athlete being jostled or obstructed so as to impede his progress
There is a NOTE on what "material advantage" means, for instance getting out of a boxed-in position.
However, I don't think "material advantage" is the same as "making a difference" in the end results (for instance, get 3rd by 5 seconds, but only gained 1 second by cheating -- that's still a "material advantage").
Oh good, track and field's biggest jerk gets a bronze the cheesy way. How sweet.
To everyone who says it doesn't matter because the French guy was so far back: How do you know that the French dude didn't see him cheat, see the official's red flag go up and then just back off know he could out sprint the chasers for third?