11 Bonkers Olympic Controversies We Will Never Forget
The opening ceremonies for 2016 Summer Olympic Games kick off today, and you know what that means: It's time to pretend like you care about gymnastics. We kid, we kid. The Olympics is such an exciting time, and we're stoked to see what countries emerge victorious in swimming, football (if you're thinking teh American version, catch up) and other sweaty games.
We're also curious to see if any controversies arise this year. There is always at least one huge controversy during each Olympics, and they tend to get more bonkers as the years go on. From horses on drugs to underage gymnasts, here are 11 Olympics controversies that we'll never forget--for better or worse.
Dong Fangxiao (Summer 2000)
The Chinese gymnast had her bronze medal revoked in 2010 after it was revealed she was only 14 during the 2000 Summer Olympics. (The age minimum is 16.)
Cian O'Connor's horse Waterford Crystal (Summer 2004)
The Irish showjumper was stripped of his gold medal in 2005 after after his horse Waterford Crystal tested positive for fluphenazine and zuclophenthixol. O'Connor demanded a second test for his horse, but the results were stolen before they made it to the lab.
Ibragim Samadov (Summer 1992)
The Russian weightlifter was banned for life from the Olympics after he refused to accept the bronze medal during the summer 1992 games.
Keith Walker (Summer 1988)
The New Zealand referee was physically harmed by Korean boxing officials after declaring Bulgaria won a match over South Korea.
North Korean women's football team (Summer 2012)
During the 2012 Summer Olympics game between North Korea and Colombia, the North Korean women's football team was introduced with a South Korean flag, delaying the match for an hour.
Ángel Matos (Summer 2008)
Matos got violent on the referee who disqualified him during a match in the summer 2008 games. He kicked the ref in the face, which caused the Cuban taekwandoist to get banned for life from any taekwando event.
Ara Abrahamian (Summer 2008)
The Swedish wrestler put his bronze medal on the floor out of anger that he lost to Italy's Andrea Minguzzi. He was eventually stripped of the medal.
John Carlos and Tommie Smith (Summer 1968)
During their medal ceremony, these two 200-meter runners stuck up their fists in a Black Power salute. The then-controversial move got them kicked out of the games, but became an iconic moment in America's Civil Rights movement.
Ben Johnson (Summer 1988)
The Canadian sprinter's 100-meter victory was short-lived. After officials found out Johnson doped, he was disqualified.
Olga Medvedtseva (Winter 2006)
After the 2006 Olympics, the Russian biathlete had her silver medal revoked after she tested positive in a drug test.
Evan Lysacek (Winter 2010)
The American figure skater became the first person to win an Olympic title in 1994 without executing a quadruple jump.