welcome to the best of WatchMojo the
series that reef eacher some of our
biggest and best videos that you may
have missed the games are never short on
drama welcome to watchmojo.com and today
we’re counting down our picks for the
top 10 Olympic controversies in other
words doped athletes are protected by
the anti-doping agency of Russia rather
than suspended for this list we’re
taking a look at the most notorious
instances of cheating violence and
political maneuvering from both the
summer and winter games all of which
generated worldwide discussion and
debate until today she was thought to be
a virtual shoo-in for the Olympics this
evening the president of the US Figure
Skating Association said that Kerrigan
must compete in tomorrow’s initial
program or she will not be allowed on
the team we’re excluding tragedies like
the Munich massacre of 1972 and
Atlanta’s bombing in 1996 as there is
little dispute about the causes and
results of those incidents we know that
a rock concert was taking place we know
that there has been talking about an
explosion from a garbage can there’s
been talk that there was evacuation in
the moments before it number 10
Boris Onis chenko is Magic epee after
the elimination of the Soviet team as a
result of Mona chicos disqualification
hopes begin to revived as a
distinguished yet aging modern
pentathlete and respected figure in the
Soviet Union 38 year old Boris on his
chenko had a considerable reputation to
uphold in his homeland the pressure to
perform particularly in the Cold War era
of sport was too much to bear however
and caused the former Army Major to
cheat eventually leading to his downfall
desperate to match his silver medal
performance of four years prior he
altered his a pay to register hits even
when he wasn’t making contact with his
opponent a practice registered when the
foil tip hits the opponent with the
force of at least 500 grams just as
quickly as this plot was discovered
Boris the cheat was stripped of all his
sporting honors and
personally reprimanded by Soviet leader
Leonid Brezhnev therefore suffering the
very fall from grace he was trying
desperately to avoid number nine Jim
Thorpe’s disqualification reportedly
dubbed the greatest athlete in the world
by the king of Sweden this legendary
all-rounder took gold in both the
pentathlon and decathlon at the 1912
Summer Games setting records that would
endure well into the 20th century there
must be something in the Thorpe legend
for people to still be talking about him
fifty years after he’s dead the Native
American and Europeans F leduc career is
defined by tales of his nonchalant
excellence he is winning the high jump
in mismatched shoes is one of many
classic anecdotes yet his feats will
always be tainted by the IOC s so-called
elitist and potentially racist attempts
to punish him for violating their
Victorian rules on amateurism rules that
white athletes apparently frequently
abused without consequence far as I’m
concerned he’s a simon-pure athlete you
mustn’t take those medals away from him
gentlemen you mustn’t under serious
pressure from Thorpe supporters the IOC
did eventually yield on the subject by
returning thorpes medals in the early
1980s they were presented to his seven
surviving children
[Music]
number eight displacement in Beijing as
far back as the year 2000 Chinese
officials were implementing quote
environmental improvement projects a
fancy phrase for the systematic
demolition of Beijing’s impoverished
areas resulting in the displacement of
an estimated 1 and a half million people
for the 2008 Summer Games these people
have been forced out of their homes to
make way for profitable real estate
projects although the local government
claimed that they moved only between 6
and 15 thousand people all with ample
compensation numerous reports emerged
exposing the mistreatment of those
unwilling to shift by heavy-handed
police Beijing’s floating population
consisting of rural migrants the
homeless and others so-called
second-class citizens were most at risk
from this purported social cleansing as
the government took the opportunity to
further marginalize these people for now
many live in neighborhoods curtain’d off
by gray concrete wolf built authorities
say to make Beijing prettier it was
reported that 40 billion dollars was
spent on Olympic or corporate
infrastructure while human rights were
allegedly blatantly ignored adding to an
already large list of controversies
surrounding the Beijing Games this area
will be destroyed not certain we just
don’t know when I thought that that
would happen before the games but
apparently it got delayed say for now
we’ve been left alone number 7 the blood
in the water match just a few weeks
before this water polo match Soviet
tanks had rumbled into Budapest to end a
revolution that would claimed the lives
of about 3,000 Hungarians I was
considered to be from the foreign class
background and when the communist system
came into power here I had to find the
opportunity to make my way in the world
with the hopes of restoring their
country’s pride the Hungarian team
devised a plan to rile the Russians up
get physical and force them into rash
decisions a lot of people asked why it
is that way
and I think that water polo is simply in
our blood with Hungary leading four
nothing late in the game
the Russians decided to take matters
into their own hands
Hungarian player Irvin zidor was
viciously struck in the eye sending the
hundreds of Hungarians in the crowd into
a frenzy that required police
intervention to end in a bittersweet
finish to their games the Hungarian team
took home the gold but they could never
escape the matches political subtext
forcing many team members to find refuge
in less oppressive lands the Hungarians
are declared for nothing winners the
semifinal showdown instantly makes
headlines across the globe number six
the Russian doping scandal it’s almost
spooky the women’s 800 meters a favorite
event of the Russians that is now under
general suspicion details of
state-sponsored systematic doping in
Russia really came to light in 2014 but
they were dramatically expanded upon
when a former Russian anti-doping
official Gregory Ruud chenkov provided
an insider’s look into a conspiracy that
forced him to flee to the US in fear for
his life according to Russian cap he
would feed the athletes these banned
substances vile alcohol exploiting the
increased access granted by their
hosting of the games competitors in
Sochi in 2014 were allowed to dope
without consequence while they’re
tainted urine samples were exchanged for
clean ones in covert operations carried
out by Rodchenko and other shady experts
it’s a fact that we cannot prove doping
among athletes through our evaluation
but we do have an indication of how
widespread doping is he claimed that at
least 15 medal winners from the 2014
Winter Olympics might be implicated as a
result of these elaborate supposedly
Kremlin sanctioned schemes Russia was
indefinitely suspended from world sports
events and many of its athletes may miss
the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio but
pressure is building to make Russia
sanctions stick much longer
number 5 ben jonson doping for canadians
a classic where were you moment
then the positive drug test the men’s
100 meters at the 1988 Summer Olympics
in Seoul may have been labeled the
dirtiest race in history but it was also
one of the most enthralling to watch
yeah it was all about Ben Johnson versus
Carl Lewis six members of that all-star
lineup would end up implicated in other
doping controversies later in their
careers but it was Johnson the world
record holder after his nine point seven
nine second race who will forever be
defined by the steroid use he began in
1981 the Canadian was open about his
long-term cheating and was rightly
stripped of his gold medal yet to this
day he is act to be the only one
punished when the other athletes also
failed drug tests he’s even made
conspiratorial claims declaring that the
IOC only selectively cracks down on the
pervasive doping culture in athletics
but even if Johnson’s allegations are
true we may never fully know regardless
to feel like what happened does to us
they the experience of that moment
the sort of the emotions that it that it
that it evokes are still there
number four Tonya Harding and Nancy
Kerrigan many of you will be unable to
forgive me for that it will be difficult
to forgive myself it’s no surprise that
a feature-length film about this
sensational incident is in the works
containing jealousy a hit man and an
unrelenting desire for sporting success
the tale is ready for a big screen
adaptation large man 6 to 200 pounds you
know came running out just kind of
crouched when he got to her hit her a
couple times with some type of weapon
after practice for a national
championship that was crucial to
determine the US Olympic figure skating
team a thug hired by Tonya Harding’s
ex-husband and bodyguard struck Nancy
Kerrigan in the leg since she was
essentially the poster girl of the sport
at the time the attack was orchestrated
to intentionally put her out of the 90
for games branded as the hard-working do
anything for gold skater Harding’s
alleged knowledge of the attack was soon
exposed by the media however she was
still allowed to perform at the Olympics
fortunately Kerrigan recovered from the
botched attack and landed the silver at
the Lillehammer games while Harding
placed eighth was fined received three
years of probation and never skated
competitively again but if she were here
today what would you want to say to her
about all of this well if she’d loved me
I’d love to give her a hug number three
the u.s. boycotts the Moscow Olympics
the United States Olympic Committee
voted to boycott the Summer Olympic
Games in Moscow in response to the
Soviet invasion of Afghanistan beginning
in 1979 US President Jimmy Carter led an
international boycott that doomed his
period in office and triggered the
Soviet Union’s own Olympic boycott of
the LA Games four years later we did our
best to preserve the games in Moscow in
1980 and we have to just do to do the
same to preserve the games in 1984 in
those eyes while the reasons behind this
action were righteous and well supported
the u.s. enlisted the help of Muhammad
Ali and ultimately 65 nations joined up
the boycott did threaten the Olympic
movement by embroiling the games in the
political maneuvering of two world
powers
well I’m very disappointed but I feel
that it’s probably the only thing that
our country can do as a unit 25 angry US
athletes even sued the government or
denying them a dream they worked so hard
towards and yet
Carter stuck to his morals strengthening
a stance that would later be described
by the Soviet Union as quote anti Soviet
hysteria you can look anywhere around
the globe and you’ll find a problem
where help is needed where we could jump
on a bandwagon if you like and I think
it’s just a little unfortunate that’s
we’ve chosen now the Olympic Games to
have a go at number two the Olympics
Black Power salute my head bowed my fist
went up in here it’s one of the most
powerful images of the 20th century and
a demonstration that has transcended men
sporting events and achievements in the
medal ceremony for the 200-meter race at
the 1968 Summer Olympics Americans
Tommie Smith and John Carlos who were
shoeless and had their heads bowed each
thrust one gloved hand in the air
Tommie Smith and John Carlos seized
controversial demonstrations
stunned the world Smith said that the
salute was meant to symbolize human
rights for all though it was taken
differently by others who believed it
was actually in support of black power
both athletes were expelled from the
games and greeted with hostility when
they returned to the States
we always had a happy face in the USA
all across our chest to give indication
and everything is smooth in America but
in fact it wasn’t smooth however despite
the fact that they lived in a climate
where it was potentially dangerous to be
openly critical of the establishment
they stood by the political statement
claiming it was their moral obligation
to sacrifice their individual
reputations to send a message to the
millions watching at home a lot of black
people generally were better off 10 15
20 years down the line because they made
that stance before we unveil our top
pick here are some honorable mentions we
eventually came to know that through an
italian wiretap on uzbeki thug he
enlisted the help of a french skating
official to favor the russian pair over
the canadians at an american olympics
accusations at salt lake city had bribed
some IOC members with cash gifts
possibly even the services of
prostitutes so it could get the 2002
Games
consecutive ball battle
crazy and the world-champion old quarter
then and this is the danger and dick is
down
oh the world champion and one of the
favorites is now flat out on the infield
[Music]
number one the Nazi Olympics unbury
every other banner we saw there was a
swastika for two weeks in 1936 Berlin
the world was blinded by Nazi prosperity
and hospitality while Germany’s
precisely directed propaganda campaign
obscured the country’s anti-semitic
racist homophobic and expansionist
policies from view how can that you be
good enough to win the Olympics that I
would have had to be afraid for my life
I’m sure numerous nations that would go
on to form the Allied powers were
present for every carefully manufactured
demonstration of fervent German pride
while arguments stating the
participation in the games would be
tantamount to an endorsement of fascism
went unheard and so despite mentions of
a potential boycott the games went on as
planned medals were even won by some
Jewish and black athletes but it was
Hitler who truly prospered the Reich
Chancellor managed to turn the games
into an advertising campaign for his
administration with some asserting that
he successfully manipulated European
powers into a complacency that would
allow the Nazi regime to spread across
Europe in the years to come everybody
knew everybody knew early on exactly the
kind of regime Nazi Germany was so much
so that for the first time in the
history of the modern Olympic Games
there was talk about boycotting these
games do you agree with our list
what infamous Olympic moments do you
think were the most controversial as for
seven year old young PE she reportedly
says that she’s just honoured to have
had a role in the opening ceremony in
the first place for more sporting top
10s published every day be sure to
subscribe to watchmojo.com Brazilian
government health workers are
investigating more than 4,000 suspected
microcephaly cases that might be linked
to Zika do you agree with our picks
check out these other great clips from
WatchMojo and subscribe for new videos
every day
series that reef eacher some of our
biggest and best videos that you may
have missed the games are never short on
drama welcome to watchmojo.com and today
we’re counting down our picks for the
top 10 Olympic controversies in other
words doped athletes are protected by
the anti-doping agency of Russia rather
than suspended for this list we’re
taking a look at the most notorious
instances of cheating violence and
political maneuvering from both the
summer and winter games all of which
generated worldwide discussion and
debate until today she was thought to be
a virtual shoo-in for the Olympics this
evening the president of the US Figure
Skating Association said that Kerrigan
must compete in tomorrow’s initial
program or she will not be allowed on
the team we’re excluding tragedies like
the Munich massacre of 1972 and
Atlanta’s bombing in 1996 as there is
little dispute about the causes and
results of those incidents we know that
a rock concert was taking place we know
that there has been talking about an
explosion from a garbage can there’s
been talk that there was evacuation in
the moments before it number 10
Boris Onis chenko is Magic epee after
the elimination of the Soviet team as a
result of Mona chicos disqualification
hopes begin to revived as a
distinguished yet aging modern
pentathlete and respected figure in the
Soviet Union 38 year old Boris on his
chenko had a considerable reputation to
uphold in his homeland the pressure to
perform particularly in the Cold War era
of sport was too much to bear however
and caused the former Army Major to
cheat eventually leading to his downfall
desperate to match his silver medal
performance of four years prior he
altered his a pay to register hits even
when he wasn’t making contact with his
opponent a practice registered when the
foil tip hits the opponent with the
force of at least 500 grams just as
quickly as this plot was discovered
Boris the cheat was stripped of all his
sporting honors and
personally reprimanded by Soviet leader
Leonid Brezhnev therefore suffering the
very fall from grace he was trying
desperately to avoid number nine Jim
Thorpe’s disqualification reportedly
dubbed the greatest athlete in the world
by the king of Sweden this legendary
all-rounder took gold in both the
pentathlon and decathlon at the 1912
Summer Games setting records that would
endure well into the 20th century there
must be something in the Thorpe legend
for people to still be talking about him
fifty years after he’s dead the Native
American and Europeans F leduc career is
defined by tales of his nonchalant
excellence he is winning the high jump
in mismatched shoes is one of many
classic anecdotes yet his feats will
always be tainted by the IOC s so-called
elitist and potentially racist attempts
to punish him for violating their
Victorian rules on amateurism rules that
white athletes apparently frequently
abused without consequence far as I’m
concerned he’s a simon-pure athlete you
mustn’t take those medals away from him
gentlemen you mustn’t under serious
pressure from Thorpe supporters the IOC
did eventually yield on the subject by
returning thorpes medals in the early
1980s they were presented to his seven
surviving children
[Music]
number eight displacement in Beijing as
far back as the year 2000 Chinese
officials were implementing quote
environmental improvement projects a
fancy phrase for the systematic
demolition of Beijing’s impoverished
areas resulting in the displacement of
an estimated 1 and a half million people
for the 2008 Summer Games these people
have been forced out of their homes to
make way for profitable real estate
projects although the local government
claimed that they moved only between 6
and 15 thousand people all with ample
compensation numerous reports emerged
exposing the mistreatment of those
unwilling to shift by heavy-handed
police Beijing’s floating population
consisting of rural migrants the
homeless and others so-called
second-class citizens were most at risk
from this purported social cleansing as
the government took the opportunity to
further marginalize these people for now
many live in neighborhoods curtain’d off
by gray concrete wolf built authorities
say to make Beijing prettier it was
reported that 40 billion dollars was
spent on Olympic or corporate
infrastructure while human rights were
allegedly blatantly ignored adding to an
already large list of controversies
surrounding the Beijing Games this area
will be destroyed not certain we just
don’t know when I thought that that
would happen before the games but
apparently it got delayed say for now
we’ve been left alone number 7 the blood
in the water match just a few weeks
before this water polo match Soviet
tanks had rumbled into Budapest to end a
revolution that would claimed the lives
of about 3,000 Hungarians I was
considered to be from the foreign class
background and when the communist system
came into power here I had to find the
opportunity to make my way in the world
with the hopes of restoring their
country’s pride the Hungarian team
devised a plan to rile the Russians up
get physical and force them into rash
decisions a lot of people asked why it
is that way
and I think that water polo is simply in
our blood with Hungary leading four
nothing late in the game
the Russians decided to take matters
into their own hands
Hungarian player Irvin zidor was
viciously struck in the eye sending the
hundreds of Hungarians in the crowd into
a frenzy that required police
intervention to end in a bittersweet
finish to their games the Hungarian team
took home the gold but they could never
escape the matches political subtext
forcing many team members to find refuge
in less oppressive lands the Hungarians
are declared for nothing winners the
semifinal showdown instantly makes
headlines across the globe number six
the Russian doping scandal it’s almost
spooky the women’s 800 meters a favorite
event of the Russians that is now under
general suspicion details of
state-sponsored systematic doping in
Russia really came to light in 2014 but
they were dramatically expanded upon
when a former Russian anti-doping
official Gregory Ruud chenkov provided
an insider’s look into a conspiracy that
forced him to flee to the US in fear for
his life according to Russian cap he
would feed the athletes these banned
substances vile alcohol exploiting the
increased access granted by their
hosting of the games competitors in
Sochi in 2014 were allowed to dope
without consequence while they’re
tainted urine samples were exchanged for
clean ones in covert operations carried
out by Rodchenko and other shady experts
it’s a fact that we cannot prove doping
among athletes through our evaluation
but we do have an indication of how
widespread doping is he claimed that at
least 15 medal winners from the 2014
Winter Olympics might be implicated as a
result of these elaborate supposedly
Kremlin sanctioned schemes Russia was
indefinitely suspended from world sports
events and many of its athletes may miss
the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio but
pressure is building to make Russia
sanctions stick much longer
number 5 ben jonson doping for canadians
a classic where were you moment
then the positive drug test the men’s
100 meters at the 1988 Summer Olympics
in Seoul may have been labeled the
dirtiest race in history but it was also
one of the most enthralling to watch
yeah it was all about Ben Johnson versus
Carl Lewis six members of that all-star
lineup would end up implicated in other
doping controversies later in their
careers but it was Johnson the world
record holder after his nine point seven
nine second race who will forever be
defined by the steroid use he began in
1981 the Canadian was open about his
long-term cheating and was rightly
stripped of his gold medal yet to this
day he is act to be the only one
punished when the other athletes also
failed drug tests he’s even made
conspiratorial claims declaring that the
IOC only selectively cracks down on the
pervasive doping culture in athletics
but even if Johnson’s allegations are
true we may never fully know regardless
to feel like what happened does to us
they the experience of that moment
the sort of the emotions that it that it
that it evokes are still there
number four Tonya Harding and Nancy
Kerrigan many of you will be unable to
forgive me for that it will be difficult
to forgive myself it’s no surprise that
a feature-length film about this
sensational incident is in the works
containing jealousy a hit man and an
unrelenting desire for sporting success
the tale is ready for a big screen
adaptation large man 6 to 200 pounds you
know came running out just kind of
crouched when he got to her hit her a
couple times with some type of weapon
after practice for a national
championship that was crucial to
determine the US Olympic figure skating
team a thug hired by Tonya Harding’s
ex-husband and bodyguard struck Nancy
Kerrigan in the leg since she was
essentially the poster girl of the sport
at the time the attack was orchestrated
to intentionally put her out of the 90
for games branded as the hard-working do
anything for gold skater Harding’s
alleged knowledge of the attack was soon
exposed by the media however she was
still allowed to perform at the Olympics
fortunately Kerrigan recovered from the
botched attack and landed the silver at
the Lillehammer games while Harding
placed eighth was fined received three
years of probation and never skated
competitively again but if she were here
today what would you want to say to her
about all of this well if she’d loved me
I’d love to give her a hug number three
the u.s. boycotts the Moscow Olympics
the United States Olympic Committee
voted to boycott the Summer Olympic
Games in Moscow in response to the
Soviet invasion of Afghanistan beginning
in 1979 US President Jimmy Carter led an
international boycott that doomed his
period in office and triggered the
Soviet Union’s own Olympic boycott of
the LA Games four years later we did our
best to preserve the games in Moscow in
1980 and we have to just do to do the
same to preserve the games in 1984 in
those eyes while the reasons behind this
action were righteous and well supported
the u.s. enlisted the help of Muhammad
Ali and ultimately 65 nations joined up
the boycott did threaten the Olympic
movement by embroiling the games in the
political maneuvering of two world
powers
well I’m very disappointed but I feel
that it’s probably the only thing that
our country can do as a unit 25 angry US
athletes even sued the government or
denying them a dream they worked so hard
towards and yet
Carter stuck to his morals strengthening
a stance that would later be described
by the Soviet Union as quote anti Soviet
hysteria you can look anywhere around
the globe and you’ll find a problem
where help is needed where we could jump
on a bandwagon if you like and I think
it’s just a little unfortunate that’s
we’ve chosen now the Olympic Games to
have a go at number two the Olympics
Black Power salute my head bowed my fist
went up in here it’s one of the most
powerful images of the 20th century and
a demonstration that has transcended men
sporting events and achievements in the
medal ceremony for the 200-meter race at
the 1968 Summer Olympics Americans
Tommie Smith and John Carlos who were
shoeless and had their heads bowed each
thrust one gloved hand in the air
Tommie Smith and John Carlos seized
controversial demonstrations
stunned the world Smith said that the
salute was meant to symbolize human
rights for all though it was taken
differently by others who believed it
was actually in support of black power
both athletes were expelled from the
games and greeted with hostility when
they returned to the States
we always had a happy face in the USA
all across our chest to give indication
and everything is smooth in America but
in fact it wasn’t smooth however despite
the fact that they lived in a climate
where it was potentially dangerous to be
openly critical of the establishment
they stood by the political statement
claiming it was their moral obligation
to sacrifice their individual
reputations to send a message to the
millions watching at home a lot of black
people generally were better off 10 15
20 years down the line because they made
that stance before we unveil our top
pick here are some honorable mentions we
eventually came to know that through an
italian wiretap on uzbeki thug he
enlisted the help of a french skating
official to favor the russian pair over
the canadians at an american olympics
accusations at salt lake city had bribed
some IOC members with cash gifts
possibly even the services of
prostitutes so it could get the 2002
Games
consecutive ball battle
crazy and the world-champion old quarter
then and this is the danger and dick is
down
oh the world champion and one of the
favorites is now flat out on the infield
[Music]
number one the Nazi Olympics unbury
every other banner we saw there was a
swastika for two weeks in 1936 Berlin
the world was blinded by Nazi prosperity
and hospitality while Germany’s
precisely directed propaganda campaign
obscured the country’s anti-semitic
racist homophobic and expansionist
policies from view how can that you be
good enough to win the Olympics that I
would have had to be afraid for my life
I’m sure numerous nations that would go
on to form the Allied powers were
present for every carefully manufactured
demonstration of fervent German pride
while arguments stating the
participation in the games would be
tantamount to an endorsement of fascism
went unheard and so despite mentions of
a potential boycott the games went on as
planned medals were even won by some
Jewish and black athletes but it was
Hitler who truly prospered the Reich
Chancellor managed to turn the games
into an advertising campaign for his
administration with some asserting that
he successfully manipulated European
powers into a complacency that would
allow the Nazi regime to spread across
Europe in the years to come everybody
knew everybody knew early on exactly the
kind of regime Nazi Germany was so much
so that for the first time in the
history of the modern Olympic Games
there was talk about boycotting these
games do you agree with our list
what infamous Olympic moments do you
think were the most controversial as for
seven year old young PE she reportedly
says that she’s just honoured to have
had a role in the opening ceremony in
the first place for more sporting top
10s published every day be sure to
subscribe to watchmojo.com Brazilian
government health workers are
investigating more than 4,000 suspected
microcephaly cases that might be linked
to Zika do you agree with our picks
check out these other great clips from
WatchMojo and subscribe for new videos
every day
Please follow and like us: