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Friday, September 29
Romania might seek damages
Reuters
BUCHAREST -- Romania is considering suing
"institutions and persons" over the moral damage caused to the
country's performers banned at the Olympic Games in Sydney,
sports minister Crin Antonescu said on Friday.
"We had contacts with Romanian and foreign lawyers over the
possibility of asking for damages for our performers who
consider they got unfair treatment at the Olympics," Antonescu
said.
He said: "We plan to sue institutions and persons who, for
instance, crushed (gymnast) Andreea Raducan morally. She was
done great injustice when she was stripped of her gold medal
for the all-round competition.
"Public opinion the world over is enough to judge what
happened in Sydney."
It was not clear which court the Romanian Sports Ministry
and performers would address.
Raducan was disqualified after ingesting a drug in an
over-the-counter cold remedy administered by the Romanian team
doctor before the Olympic all-round gymnastics event.
Withdrawal of the all-round gold, despite an IOC
acknowledgement the drug gave her no competitive advantage, set
off a wave of sympathy across Romania and the world.
"Olympic officials apologized to Raducan and the Romanian
Olympic Committee in Sydney, but that was half the
compensation," Antonescu said.
"The other half is that all those responsible for what
happened should answer for it."
Antonescu also criticized the expulsion of hammer world
champion and world record holder Mihaela Melinte from the
Olympic arena minutes before the start of qualification because
of a positive drugs test.
"Throwing out a performer with great winning chances was an
unbearable offence," Antonescu said.
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