James Hewish
Encyclopedia
James Hewish is an Australia
n short track speed skating
referee
who works for ISU
. He participated in the 2002 Salt Lake City
and 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics as the chief referee in the short track speed skating events.
, James Hewish gave gold to Apolo Anton Ohno
even though the South Korean skater Kim Dong-Sung
was first to cross the finish line. James Hewish disqualified Kim Dong-Sung for blocking Ohno and violating the rule of cross-tracking
.
James again disqualified the South Korean team, who finished first, in the Women's 3000m Relay final at the 2010 Winter Olympics
for blocking a Chinese skater. James subsequently received abusing and threatening emails including personal death threats from angry South Korean fans. A bomb threat was also made by a disgruntled fan against the Australian Embassy in Seoul, however it was later reveal to be a hoax. James was provided police protection as a result of the threats.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n short track speed skating
Short track speed skating
Short track speed skating is a form of competitive ice speed skating. In competitions, multiple skaters skate on an oval ice track with a circumference of 111.12 m...
referee
Referee
A referee is the person of authority, in a variety of sports, who is responsible for presiding over the game from a neutral point of view and making on the fly decisions that enforce the rules of the sport...
who works for ISU
International Skating Union
The International Skating Union is the international governing body for competitive ice skating disciplines, including figure skating, synchronized skating, speed skating, and short track speed skating. It was founded in Scheveningen, Netherlands in 1892, making it one of the oldest international...
. He participated in the 2002 Salt Lake City
2002 Winter Olympics
The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event that was celebrated in February 2002 in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Approximately 2,400 athletes from 77 nations participated in 78 events in fifteen disciplines, held throughout...
and 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics as the chief referee in the short track speed skating events.
Controversies
In the 1500 m Short Track Speed Skating event of the 2002 Winter Olympics2002 Winter Olympics
The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event that was celebrated in February 2002 in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Approximately 2,400 athletes from 77 nations participated in 78 events in fifteen disciplines, held throughout...
, James Hewish gave gold to Apolo Anton Ohno
Apolo Anton Ohno
Apolo Anton Ohno is an American short track speed skating competitor and an eight-time medalist in the Winter Olympics. He is the most decorated American Winter Olympic athlete of all time....
even though the South Korean skater Kim Dong-Sung
Kim Dong-Sung
Kim Dong-Sung is a former South Korean short track speed skater. He won a gold medal in 1000m race and silver medal in 5000m relay at the 1998 Winter Olympics...
was first to cross the finish line. James Hewish disqualified Kim Dong-Sung for blocking Ohno and violating the rule of cross-tracking
Cross-checking
Cross-checking is an infraction in the sport of ice hockey where a player checks an opponent by using the shaft of his or her stick with both hands. In the rules of the National Hockey League, cross-checking is defined in Rule 59....
.
James again disqualified the South Korean team, who finished first, in the Women's 3000m Relay final at the 2010 Winter Olympics
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
for blocking a Chinese skater. James subsequently received abusing and threatening emails including personal death threats from angry South Korean fans. A bomb threat was also made by a disgruntled fan against the Australian Embassy in Seoul, however it was later reveal to be a hoax. James was provided police protection as a result of the threats.