Thursday, February 21, 2002
Collateral damage
Korean loses gold after DQ, Gagnon moves up to third
By STEVE BUFFERY -- Team Sun
SALT LAKE CITY -- There's no truth to the rumour that the short track speed skaters are being housed at a lunatic asylum during these Olympic Games.
But they may as well be, because you have to be a little off to participate in this sport. It's dangerous, unpredictable and sometimes downright confusing.
Marc Gagnon of Pointe-Aux-Trembles, Que., captured a bronze medal for Canada in the 1,500-metre event last night, moving up from fourth after the apparent winner, Dong-Sung Kim of Korea, was disqualified for cross-tracking.
In the evening's other final, the Canadian women's team scored a bronze in the 3,000-metre relay event.
The 1,500-metre gold went to American favourite Apolo Anton Ohno of Seattle in two minutes 18.541 seconds. Jiajun Li of China was second in 2:18.731 and Gagnon crossed the line for third in 2:18.806.
"I was so happy," said Gagnon, 26, a member of Canada's 5,000-metre relay team that won gold at the 1998 Nagano Olympics. "But I wasn't surprised at all (with the disqualification). Apolo set up a clean pass and you could just see the Korean totally change track to stop Apolo from passing."
Nearing the final turn, Kim cut in front of Ohno, who was coming on strong on the inside, hindering his progress.
Kim managed to hold on to first and skated around the ice in triumph, waving the Korean flag. But in a flash of a second, his elation turned to shock when it was announced that he had been disqualified. The decision came from Australian referee James Hewish.
With that, Ohno, 19, threw his arms in the air and Kim tossed the flag on to the ice and endeavoured to kick it. The mainly American crowd at the Salt Lake Ice Center went nuts. For Ohno, the victory was deserving.
The pressure on the Seattle native coming into these Games was huge. He was the coverboy of the Sports Illustrated Olympic Games edition and was expected to win the 1,000-metre event last Saturday.
And he was leading that race until the final turn when a bizarre chain of events, even for short track, occurred. Ohno was one of four skaters who crashed to the ice, including Canada's Mathieu Turcotte, allowing a complete darkhorse, Steven Bradbury of Australia, the only skater who didn't fall, to win the gold. Ohno got up for the silver and Turcotte slid in for the bronze.
"They can just go throw me in the desert and bury me," Ohno said.
"I got a gold medal. I'm good now."
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2002 Games Short Track Speed Skating Coverage
