10 worst Winter Olympic cheats from heated blades to skating judges conspiring
dailystar.co.ukThe build-up, as seems to be customary with large-scale sporting events these days, has been anything but smooth. From the moral conundrum presented by China's human rights record, to the complications posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, it's been difficult for athletes to prepare with unhindered focus.
And a lingering cloud in the form of Russian participants remains, with clean competitors from the country permitted, but without being able to officially represent their nation following the state-doping scandal that rocked the world post the 2014 Games.
However, whilst the fallout from the saga remains lightyears from any amicable conclusion, it's hardly the only controversy at a Winter Olympics to be underpinned by a desire to cheat.Here's 10 examples where the Olympic spirit was cast aside by the notion of winning at all costs.Back in 1924, sport didn't enjoy the technical advancements of this day and age.Nor it seems, did it impose strict qualification criteria to become an Olympian, with American speed skater Charles Jewtraw rocking up at the first ever Winter Games in Chamonix to compete in a 500 metre race for the first time.In a field signified by high-quality Norwegian and Swedish skaters, Jewtraw appeared an also-ran, only to then storm to the Gold medal in a time of 44 seconds.Those who finished behind him cried foul play, not in relation to the winner's conduct, but at the time-keepers who back then, used frozen hands and watchful eyes to clock official times via stopwatches.Despite protestations about a potential conspiracy, and the medal favourites being awarded dubiously slow times, the result stood, and 59 years later, in an interview with Sports Illustrated, you sensed even Jewtraw remained unconvinced."I.
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