Cuba’s Angel Valodia Matos was banned for life from taekwondo on Saturday after he kicked the match referee in the head in his bronze medal bout.
Matos’s coach was also banned for the behaviour that the official said was in “strong violation of the spirit of taekwondo and the Olympic Games”.
That would be putting it mildly, one might say.
PHOTO: Angel Valodia Matos of Cuba kicks out at referee Chakir Chelbat of Sweden during the men’s +80kg bronze medal taekwondo competition against Arman Chilmanov of Kazakhstan at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games August 23, 2008. REUTERS/Issei Kato
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20 comments so far
OHHHHHHH WHAT A SHOOOOOOOOOTTTTTTT
ONLY IF U HAD KICKED UR OPPONENT LIKE THIS U WOULD ALREADY BE HOLDING THE GOLD BY NOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
- Posted by FARZEENKato-san - kicking like Kung Fu, great picture!
- Posted by CropperPeople do dumb things but this is going beyond …
- Posted by BruceHats off to photographer Issei Kato for getting the shot. Magic.
- Posted by Kevin FylanA knockout shot, and a daft thing to do
- Posted by anonymouseGood. If this coach or this athlete are ever permitted to participate in any sanctioned Tae Kwon Do event ever again it will be a complete disgrace to the legacy of all the honorable men and women who worked so hard to maintain a positive image for the sport.
This is the most disgraceful act in the history of the sport.
This athlete should be in jail, where else can you assault a stranger and act like this? Absolutely ridiculous, the Chinese police should arrest him.
- Posted by Brock LesnarMatos is a coward.
- Posted by Brock LesnarThis guy has now become a disgrace to martial arts around the world. Didn’t agree with the decision? At what point did he think violence would overturn it?? Idiot.
- Posted by Dwhere can i see this happening live?
- Posted by Samuelwere can i see this again?
- Posted by Samuelwhere can i see this again?
- Posted by SamuelHe’ll be in Miami by the end of Sept.
- Posted by bobbyWhat a disgrace. I hope he gets laughed out of his Dojang as well. The same rules applied to everyone. One minute. I is not like he did not know. What a coward. I hope he is stripped of his black belt. If he was my student, he would be. That is after I taught him some MORE respect.
- Posted by RainAstonishing skill on the photographers part to see that something might unfold from the Cuban and be on him ready to get it. Brilliant.
- Posted by Patrick Baldwinwhats even more disconcerting is that his COACH seems to have joined in the fray as well!hotheaded people like these should never be allowed anywhere near martial arts.disgrace!
- Posted by ddGreat title for the story. It really grabbed my attention as I browsed the different ver. of the story from sources. Keep up the good work.
- Posted by CarlosThat man is a complete fool!
We all get annoyed at losing, but he lost fair and square and took out his anger in the sore loser method, by attacking someone who, from other photos I saw on the olympic site, was totally unprepared, the ref had his hand up in the air as if saying “time please”, and his arm is STILL in the air when this idiot kicks him. I hear he also punched a Judge as well.
He is a disgrace to the Cuban people’s spirit. and I hope he never competes in sports ever again. He ruined his chances of being a athlete.
Also, if you want to know, over here in Australia, we had a young swimmer “Mick Darsey” (aged around 20) who was banned from competing in the Olympics because he savagely beat up another swimmer at a pub. All of Australia doesnt want to know him anymore and his career is OVER! Despite his blubbering appologies. we said “We’re not having thugs compete in sports, now get lost!”
Same as for this idiot, his people wont want to know him now.
I wonder if the referee and judge will press charges, from what I heard the reff needed stitches in his lip.
- Posted by dude loveHere is the incident if you want to see it
http://au.sports.yahoo.com/olympics/vide o/?autoplay_id=9419477
- Posted by dude lovehttp://frigginloon.wordpress.com/2008/08 /24/referee-attacked-by-tae-kwon-do-ath lete/
here is a better quality video of his tantrum chucking attack.
- Posted by dude lovethats a bit extream the amatures in the olympix that judge are fools to start with no spirit they dont even know the rules them selves,, the cuban should be charged ,,after all he was clearly the winner
- Posted by lion