Abrahamian threw his bronze medal away because he was so upset with the wrestling decision that claimed the gold medal he should have won. This happened at the Beijing Olympic Games. Controversial refereeing decisions will always be around unless we turn more and more to technology for the answers.
Rugby and cricket have started to turn more and more to video replays. In rugby, the video referee can go back a few plays to see if fouls have been committed. I think it is the best thing ever as it is going to keep the players honest. It is also going to ensure that the best team wins by playing fairly and not cheating.
I am sure nobody wants to deliberately make a mistake but it happens. It is these types of errors that can rob an athlete of what is rightfully theirs.
In the early days, with swimming, it was up to the time-keepers to see who finished the race first. Then they developed electronic pads to ensure that errors could not be made.
So how should we react if we are robbed with a poor decision? This is a very difficult one, especially if an athlete has prepared for years for their day of glory and has that taken away because of human error. It must be heart breaking.
I think that sport should still triumph and that the athletes behave in the correct manner and do not bring disrepute to their sport because they are angry. Sportsmanship must be at the top of the agenda.
Let us hope that at the 2012 London Olympics our athletes place sportsmanship first.
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