Oh Hell Taekwon-No!

61. From the Washington Post yesterday:

"Fighters get one minute, and Matos was disqualified when his time ran out.
Matos angrily questioned the call, pushed a judge, then pushed and kicked referee Chakir Chelbat of Sweden, who will require stitches in his lip. Matos spat on the floor and was escorted out."

Matos' coach was unapologetic. "He was too strict," Leudis Gonzalez said, referring to the decision to disqualify Matos.
Afterward, he charged the match was fixed, accusing the Kazakhs of offering him money."

Wow, Matos was as disrespectful to the art as possible, pushing a judge and kicking a ref, then spitting on the floor

Then his coach goes off on everyone and starts flinging false accusations that the game was fixed. Well if they paid Matos to lose... why would he announce that? I'd only announce that if I was paid to lose and then got flack for winning. I mean, the whole argument doesn't make sense. If the point was to lose... well they guy did a good job, why did they go throwing around that they supposedly accepted money for throwing the competition?

Talk about lower than low... THAT is why they are also recommending the coach be banned as well. His "Sportsmanship" obviously had rubbed off onto his student.

Posted at 12:31PM on Aug 24th 2008 by Mayu

62. Excellent form for a heat of the moment round house.

Posted at 12:54PM on Aug 24th 2008 by sicminded

63. Even IF the rep was wrong (which in this case he wasn't...) that does NOT give Matos the right to assult him like that. And worse, he did it all over being 3rd place. Third place is just another word for "not first". it wasn't honorable, or respectful, or anything that Taekwondo is all about. Thus, he should be banned. And the unapologetic way his coach is handling the situation, going as far as making false accusations, I would have him banned too. Just my opinion.

Posted at 4:11PM on Aug 24th 2008 by Ariel

64. Nice, enjoy being a cab driver of a 50 year old cab for the rest of your life....way to piss away the rest of your life. Why dont you go ahead and give Castro a smack too so all your bridges for any kind of life in Cuba are burned up.

Posted at 6:00PM on Aug 24th 2008 by Ray huel

65. PWNED!

Posted at 6:33PM on Aug 24th 2008 by BWynn

66. Since when you get to this level of competition your limbs are considered deadly weapons, they should prosecute him for attempted murder. That would give him the reality check he needs. They also banned his coach from ever participating in the Olympics for life, thereby ruining his career. Great move ass!!!

Posted at 6:48PM on Aug 24th 2008 by KP

67. Took Karate myself but a different style. You cannot hit or in this case kick a referee. Life ban can and will happen. Could also face arrest

Posted at 7:36PM on Aug 24th 2008 by Joeythecatfish

68. Its not even about the judges Rocadoc you poser.

Plain and simple he went over the one minute recovery time. There was no disputing that. his time ran out. Even if the judges and ref were on the Cubans side, they couldn't have given it to him. He was legally out. This was the typical case of a sore loser. Whether the ref knew Martial arts or not... (And I didn't read that he did...) he wasn't expecting to be attacked over something so stupid... and assult is assult. Whether he could defend himself or not, the guy didn't have the legal right to physically assult him unless it was in self-defense. Physical assult is illegal in almost all countries, especially when its som p*ssy a$$ waste of space almost got third place loser. (And technically he's still a loser even if he got the Bronze. Bronze is 2 away from 1st. 1st is the best. So he wasn't the best or even second best.) he was a Loo hoo, Ser Her. LOSER!

Posted at 7:39PM on Aug 24th 2008 by Ariel

69. 67 [previous to this olympics and this terrible incident this guy was a gold medal winner, as a competitor in Tae Kwon do he was highly respected Won a gold medal in Sydney, so he was not a loser, ability wise, he also won a gold medal in the Pan Am games just last year

however his actions in this olympics, turned him into one

Posted at 10:43PM on Aug 24th 2008 by mack

70. 61 Rocadoc, you are an idiot
the reason this was a big deal is HE KICKED A JUDGE IN THE FACE.........................does it matter what country he is from . who cares is he is cuban russian chinese Dominican

for you to defend this action shows what a brainless twit you are

Posted at 10:46PM on Aug 24th 2008 by mack

71. What he did was wrong, no doubt about it. And those of u who said he should have been punished more severly are dead on. But please forgive me for sayin this: The expression on the ref's face is the funniest damn thing. I can't help it. It's funny. An I bet u that once the ref gets over the shock an his injury heals, he will be showin that pic to his family an friends an laughin too.

Posted at 10:41AM on Aug 25th 2008 by Lola

72. Even if it was a "bad call" that's no excuse to kick a ref in the face and possibly be banned for life. That is just idiotic. Though I guess this brainwave didn't get to where he is for being at all intelligent. Ban this worthless goon; we don't need anymore punch-drunk entitled whiney bully losers.

Posted at 11:56AM on Aug 25th 2008 by Mina M

73. GIVE HIM SOME JAIL TIME............and a big fine.............................................

Posted at 2:46PM on Aug 26th 2008 by cj