The Chinese are at it again...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/badminton/9443922/Badminton-pairs-expelled-from-London-2012-Olympics-after-match-fixing-scandal.html

quote:

---

Badminton pairs expelled from London 2012 Olympics after 'match-fixing' scandal

All eight badminton players accused of attempting to throw their matches in the women’s doubles on Tuesday night have been disqualified from the London Olympics, Telegraph Sport can disclose

---

This happens all the time in other sports and teams/individuals are not punished for it. In fact it's normally labeled as smart (soccer in group stages, basketball seeding before a tournament, baseball teams resting starters). Not sure why there is such a cry about it unless there are specific rules against this in badminton (no idea on this one).

I personally don't think they should have been suspended, but I'm not going to get worked up over it because I don't like the Chinese much

The video of this is really bad.

The crowd sees that BOTH teams are trying to lose on purpose and they start to boo and jeer!

http://www.nbcolympics.com/wnbc/video/badminton/highlights-badminton-players-try-to-throw-match.html

awesome, very glad the IOC officials and the badminton federation followed through on this. Get this trash out of the olympics.

Says a lot about the athletes involved.

quote:

---

This happens all the time in other sports and teams/individuals are not punished for it. In fact it's normally labeled as smart (soccer in group stages, basketball seeding before a tournament, baseball teams resting starters). Not sure why there is such a cry about it unless there are specific rules against this in badminton (no idea on this one).

---

I think there is a difference between the starters/entire team playing to lose a match, and playing your second string to rest/protect the starters.

Intent is significant for me, and these players intended to play well below their abilities to straight up lose the match and change the standings of their pool. Soccer coaches resting some starters are not intending to negatively effect the results of the match. Their backups, while maybe not quite as talented, are expected to play their hearts out, play for the win, and make it as competitive as they can.

This happens all the time on the regular world tour for badminton. Happens quite often to in tennis where people purposely tank matches. It's nothing new. The only reason people are making a big fuss is because it happened at the Olympics

Serves them right!

quote:

---

Happens quite often to in tennis where people purposely tank matches. It's nothing new. The only reason people are making a big fuss is because it happened at the Olympics

---

I don't know much about the badminton tour, but I don't see this too often in tennis, probably because most of it is single elimination.

When I do see it, its often someone who got an appearance fee and then tanked the first round. And that's complete and utter bull**** every time it happens. I can almost, maybe, somewhat, but not really at all support it when they're getting in a little "practice" on a new surface leading into bigger tournaments and its a fatigue issue. Own up to it, at least.

I this is complete and utter bull****, their motivation was to avoid an early China v. China match up which they lied about, and it still would be complete and utter bull**** if it happened 100 times a year.

[This message has been edited by TXAggie2011 (edited 8/1/2012 3:50p).]

It's cheap, but they were playing towards a strategy. If they can play weaker opponents and still get a gold medal, then I see why they would do this.

What needs to change is that, if you lose, the highest medal you can get is bronze, not gold.

I.e.
Winner of champions bracket: gold
Loser of title match in champions bracket: silver
Winner of second bracket: bronze (a team that lost earlier)

That keeps the double-elimination aspect, but keeps the "purity" of the sport in check, because no body would lose on purpose to get bronze.

quote:

---

It's cheap, but they were playing towards a strategy. If they can play weaker opponents and still get a gold medal, then I see why they would do this.

---

I imagine they will have to play the other Chinese squad at some point. They won't be any easier in the next round or the Gold medal final. I get the strategy, can't refute it, its a matter of opinion and I don't like when that strategy is used (although I think there was a little more to it here)

I think they should wipe the round robin and go back to single or double elimination with a long road out of the loser's bracket...the round robin was new, if I remember from past Olympics, and I don't think it'll be back.

[This message has been edited by TXAggie2011 (edited 8/1/2012 3:22p).]

In Juniors players tank their consies matches quite often as they don't want to stay the extra day

On the pro tour you'll see it often if a player wins a long singles match and has to play doubles later in the day with their next singles match the next day. TO conserve energy, the player will purposely tank the doubles match or in worst cases they make up some kind of injury and miracously are healthy enough to play the next day.

In the end China loses nothing. Had they won there'd only be one Chinese pair in the semis. As of now, there is still one Chinese pair in the semis.

The whole group play scheme could have been organized better if the organizers had revealed where the second place teams were slotted until after group play was completed

I know when and why it happens in tennis, and I've addressed the fatigue issue.

quote:

---

In the end China loses nothing.

---

Which is unfortunate. This is simply a mix of countrymen trying to set each other up for a later matchup and running away from competition, and that shouldn't have a place at a major tournament.

[This message has been edited by TXAggie2011 (edited 8/1/2012 3:51p).]

I'm not a huge supporter when I see juniors decide they want to go home early, btw. However, its much less of a thorn in my side because they're just that- consolation matches at a lesser juniors tournament.

There is something different about throwing a match so, in the SAME tounrament, you see benefits. And there's something about doing it at the Olympics that makes it a little different. IMO

[This message has been edited by TXAggie2011 (edited 8/1/2012 9:02p).]

The rules need to be changed to prevent this king of crap. While I'm glad they threw these players out, you can also arguy they didn't do anything outside of the rules. Can you imagine paying good money to see any Olympic sport and then being subjected to this??

quote:

---

you can also arguy they didn't do anything outside of the rules.

---

There might be some "ethics" standards in the guidelines. I don't know. Even though I think what they did is crap, I don't think they should have been thrown out if it wasn't against a rule. There should certainly be a general match fixing rule if there is not already, aimed at avoiding financial related fixing, and that should cover matches like this one.

[This message has been edited by TXAggie2011 (edited 8/1/2012 3:49p).]

This is a joke. If they know this is a problem and a possibility, why don't they just figure out a way so that your advantage is always to win?

As was mentioned, this happens all the time on the World badminton tour, it's a joke to wait until the Olympics to decide it's a problem.

Thumbs up to these Olympics. I don't know if it is the British rule of law influence, but I love the fact that they are swiftly righting wrongs as they appear- over-turning crooked boxing decisions and expelling teams.

They do seem to have screwed up the fencing match deal though from what I read.

I saw a rule cited today after the 800/1500m runner who stepped off the track. It required "bona fide effort" or you face disqualification.

Does anyone know if that is IAAF/track specific, or an Olympic-wide rule?

Kudos for consistency across events. I think they've made it pretty clear whoever is on the playing surface needs to put forth effort. Hopefully the message is clear and it won't be a problem again!

It came up in basketball today and trying to avoid the USA, but both teams looked like they wanted to win the game.

(Track guy was reinstated for the 1500 when it was determined he had an injury)

[This message has been edited by TXAggie2011 (edited 8/7/2012 12:56a).]