August 18, 2004
Canada's Olympic Idiot
A Canadian dressed in a tutu and with the name of an internet casino emblazoned on his chest and back dove from the 3-metre spring board at the Olympic Diving venue Monday night.
No, he didn't win a medal. Instead he won an all-expenses paid trip to a holding cell in an Athens prison. Ron Bensimhon of Montreal has been paid by the internet casino (which I refuse to name on the grounds that I won't give them what they are looking for - publicity) to do similar stunts at other events around the world.
While I think Mr. Bensimhon is a fool and the internet casino should actually pay to advertise their "service," the jump into the pool is far more embarassing to the security officials in Athens.
Having spent billions of dollars on security and concerns the Games might be the target of a terror attack, you would have thought some yahoo in a tutu would have had a great deal of trouble getting into the Olympic pool.
It was, by all accounts, not that hard for Mr. Bensimohn to get there however. And this isn't the only security lapse at Athens.
The Sunday Mirror in London, which brought attention to the lax security surrounding Queen Elizabeth, has also been at work in Athens.
The Mirror sent an undercover reporter whose assumed identity had a scketchy past to apply for a job at the Olympics. The reporter got the job and was able to gain access to restricted areas. In the lead up to the opening ceremonies, the reporter tested the security measures by leaving a few suspicious boxes inside the secure area expecting they would be found during the pre-Games security sweep. The boxes were not removed.
Mr. Bensimohn faces a fine or jail time in Athens, but Olympic officials should face some serious questions about how anyone without proper credentials could get a job with the Games or a freak in a tutu could get into the secured area of a venue.
The world sports media gathered in Athens probably won't press Games representatives, but someone should. We can't have the Games spoiled by a terrible incident.
Posted by maxthecat at August 18, 2004 06:27 AM
http://www.maxsmewsings.com/mt/archives/2004/08/canadas_olympic_idiot.php