Props for Anton Apollo Ohno

[SpiralHawk]

Winner of the Olympic Gold Medal in the 500 m speed skating event Saturday night

A brilliant athletic performance

And the guy is a gracious and charismatic sportsman to boot

America and athletics at their best

Rock on, Anton

[Lefty48197]

1. Nah. He's a cheater.

During the last Olympics, it came to light that he and another skater had conspired to block one competitor during a competition, so that their buddy could get a better finish and move up in the point standings. He's not a sportsman, he's a cheater. Just like Barry Bonds.

[SpiralHawk]

2. Assuming your linkless allegation is true, Ohno made a mistake

4 years ago and cheated

Thus, anything good he ever does in the rest of his life should be trashed and he should be eternally damned

So his undisputed and untainted -- brilliant in the 500 and in the relay -- Championship efforts in this Olympics are worthless in your view

Shall we assume, then, that you, the Accuser and Condemner, are above reproach -- and never did any dumb thing like tell a lie or cheat in your entire life in any of the sports or games you competed in? If so, I am honored to make your cyber acquaintance, Saint Lefty

[Jimbo S]

7. Look through some old USA Today's

It was common knowledge four years ago.

To clarify, "block" as in Ohno tanked a race so his buddy Shani Davis could pick up an extra couple of points and knock another person off the short-track team.

In some defense:
Last year I had a chance to speak to someone close to the situation and this person said the person who was bumped off the team more or less made his own bed. He didn't keep close tabs on the number of races he did during the season, thus opening himself up for something like what happened to occur.

[DinahMoeHum]

3. Do you have a link to this accusation?

n/t

[Goblinmonger]

4. If true, how is that cheating?

I, admittedly, know little of the sport other than what I see during the olympics, but it seems to BE a sport ENTIRELY about positioning and blocking. Is there some rule that you can't team up? What if there are two US guys? They can't help each other out?

[kick-ass-bob]

5. Like the Koreans did to him this Olympics?

They finished 1-2 - did they cheat as well?

No, that's just the way it works in this sport.

[joeybee12]

6. He's NOT a cheater, he's a great inspiration!

There was controversy last time, but those damn South Koreans more than made up for it for it by blocking him in an earlier race. There was never any penalty or disqualification against him in 2002, but apparently if you lie long enough about what happened then, some people still believe baseless accusations.

Props indeed!!!!