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发帖数: 2547 | 1 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1318866/Sign-times-Commonwealth-games-hit-bad-luck-giant-scoreboard-collapses.html
The Commonwealth Games has been hit by yet another problem after a giant
scoreboard collapsed at the rugby sevens stadium.
The 25ft-high electronic screen, costing nearly a quarter of a million
pounds, crashed to the ground on Thursday night.
No one was injured but it is another disaster to strike the 2010 games in
Delhi, India.
'We rushed to the scene to find the scoreboard in pieces,' a senior police
officer told the Hindustan Times newspaper.
'There was a huge sound when the board came down.
'Initially we thought there was an attack or that someone had done some
mischief.'
The rugby sevens event start kicks off at the Delhi University north campus
on Monday and technicians are now scrambling to complete the venue.
The scoreboard collapse is just another blow to the games, which were
officially opened by Prince Charles on Sunday.
Embarrassing pictures leaked to the media in the run-up to the games showed
filth and squalor at the athletes' village.
A key pedestrian bridge close to the main stadium collapsed just weeks
before the games were due to start and a snake was reportedly found in a
South African delegate's room.
Stray dogs and monkeys have become a menace at games venues and many top
athletes pulled out over concerns about their safety.
A stomach bug has struck down English and Australian swimmers and thousands
of condoms have blocked the plumbing at the games village.
Elsewhere, England have been accused of 'payback' after Australian sprint
star Sally Pearson was disqualified on protest following her 100 metres win
at the Commonwealth Games yesterday.
Pearson crossed the line first in the blue ribband event and was allowed to
do a lap of honour with the Australian flag before she was denied the gold
medal moments before she was to walk out for the medal ceremony.
collapse
The Rugby sevens event kicks off at the Delhi University north campus on
Monday and technicians are now scrambling to complete the venue
That was four hours after the race finished, and while Games officials have
come under fire for that delay, Athletics Victoria chief executive Nick
Honey has added to the drama by claiming England had an ulterior motive for
their protest.
Australia successfully appealed against England's women's 4x400m success
four years ago and Honey believes that played its part in yesterday's
protest, which elevated England's Katherine Endacott to a bronze medal.
'It goes back, I think, to the last Commonwealth Games,' Honey told
Melbourne radio station 3AW.
'With the (2006) 4x400m relay for the girls and the Australians, we informed
the officials and got the English girls disqualified, so it might be a bit
of payback.'
Honey did admit, however, that the officials were within their right to
disqualify Pearson for a false start alongside England's Lauren Turner.
collapse
Before the storm: Sally Pearson of Australia celebrates winning gold in the
women's 100 metres final
Enlarge collapse
A board in the media work room shows a notice concerning Thursday's Women's
100m final at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium
'From the letter of the law I think it was probably fair,' he added.
'I think in her heart of hearts, Sally realised she had broken and was
pretty excited when she got to race again.'
Nigerian Osayemi Oludamola (11.32) was elevated into the gold medal position
with Natasha Mayers of St Vincent and the Grenadines (11.37) claiming
silver ahead of Endacott.
It was, however, a poor night for the officials as a communication breakdown
left Pearson in limbo.
The English team were within their rights to protest within 30 minutes of
the race's completion but officials at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium did not
inform Pearson of the protest and she was allowed to go to the medallists
waiting room.
After four hours, though, the decision came through.
'I didn't know anything was going on,' Pearson told The Age.
collapse
Pearson with Australia high performance coach Eric Hollingsworth after being
told she had been disqualified
'I was told that I was in the clear. I was walking out to do my medal
ceremony and they called us back and said there were still protests going on.
'No-one could tell me what it was about [or] who it was against. That's
probably been the most disappointing thing because I still thought I was all
right.
'I was getting told all these different stories and I was not ever once told
the truth, never once told what was going on. I don't think that is fair.'
Commonwealth Games Federation president Mike Fennell sympathised with
Pearson's plight.
'A number of things happen concurrently,' Fennell said.
'The results are announced, then you're allowed a certain time to make a
protest.
'Someone did not communicate that a protest was being made. It was a major
communication blunder by the officials at the athletics.
'If you have a protest then athletes should be told they're put on ho |
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