The head of South Korea's top sports body has vowed to investigate badminton and fencing officials for their roles in off-field controversies.
Park Yong-sung, president of the Korean Olympic Committee (KOC), said he will look to hold badminton coaches responsible for the match-throwing scandal that saw four South Korean female doubles players disqualified from the London Olympics earlier this month.
"The players are also responsible, but ultimately it also falls upon coaches who ordered players to act in such a way," Park told reporters late Saturday.
Jung Kyung-eun and Kim Ha-na and Ha Jung-eun and Kim Min-jun were among eight shuttlers who were disqualified for allegedly trying to lose group stage games on purpose to set up favorable draws in the knockout stage.
These four players were soon stripped of their accreditations and were sent home, along with an assistant coach, Kim Moon-soo. Head coach Sung Han-kook remained in London to coach the rest of the delegation.
Park also held the Korean Fencing Federation responsible for its poor handling of a high-profile judging dispute involving epee fencer Shin A-lam.
Shin lost to Britta Heidemann of Germany in the individual semifinal owing to an apparent timekeeping error. Heidemann landed her sudden-death winning point while the clock, showing one second left, did not run down during the fencers' earlier exchanges.
In individual fencing, athletes are supposed to appeal any ruling on the field of play. But Shin's coach instead challenged the call.
Park said this mistake cost South Korea time to properly appeal on the piste. The ruling stood and the International Fencing Federation rejected South Korea's appeal. (Yonhap News)
<관련 한글 기사>
KOC, 배드민턴·펜싱 귀국 후 진상조사
승부조작에 가까운 파문을 일으킨 배드민턴과 오심으로 홍역을 앓은 펜싱이 런던올림픽이 끝나자마자 책임소재를 가리는 도마 위에 오를 전망이다.
박용성 대한체육회 회장은 12일(한국시간) 영국 런던 시내의 코리아하우스에서 열린 '선수들의 밤' 행사가 끝나고 나서 엄격한 검증 절차를 밟겠다는 의지를 밝혔다.
박 회장은 이번 올림픽에서 한국이 종합적으로 우수한 성적을 냈지만 사실과 다르게 알려진 사안들을 모조리 바로잡겠다고 밝혔다.
그는 특히 펜싱장에서 발생한 '신아람 오심' 사건은 대한펜싱협회의 책임이라고 주장했다.
박 회장은 펜싱은 선수가 오심 정황을 심판에게 직접 항의해야 한다는 규정이 있지만 지도자가 항의하다가 판정을 바로잡을 시간을 허송했다고 강조했다.
그는 신아람에게 동메달결정전 출전을 지시한 것은 블랙카드를 받으면 올림픽 출전기록이 말소되고 예정된 단체전 출전도 좌절되기 때문에 불가피했다고 해명했다. (연합뉴스)
