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Originally posted by tubby have you guys ever actually paid attention to the olympics? free from politics? amateur ideals? time for you lot to get out from under whatever rock you are hiding. so an athlete decided to make what he felt was a moral stand against a nation he felt was persecuting another nation. he did what he felt was right and you lot make it sound like that is poor morals.

Refusing to compete in an atheletic event doesn't help any "persecuted nation" or make any "moral stand." It just makes you look like a little bitch, which is what you are if you'd even consider such nonsense.

well i'm iranian myself ... and i have to agree with arbiter. embaressing.....

its a disgrace that iran doesnt recognize israel, but i dont blame the athlete at all - think about it, even if he was willing to fight, they wouldn't have let him. this is prolly the real reason.
whether he was willing or not, we wont know, but i'd bet he would've fought considering he's a 2-time world champion.
his desire to compete would drive him to do so.

IMO You go to the olympics to compete....leave all your differences at home and at the front door.