*

One-year ban for one-finger salute

Thursday, 8th January 2009 ~ Maggie ~ Link ~ Comments (0)

Speed skater Song Xingyu of Heilongjiang province was reportedly given a one-year ban by the Chinese Winter Sports Administration, for making an obscene gesture to the crowd as he crossed the finish line in a 10,000-meter race in Liaoning province.

The 20-year-old Song, who took the bronze medal in the event, says that fans were heckling him before he flipped them the bird.

"I apologize to all the spectators. I shouldn't have made that gesture," China Daily quotes Song as saying. "But I did it because some people attacked me verbally and abused my parents. I was furious."

The China Daily story also includes this quote from an unnamed official:

"During the sanction period, Song should meditate on his mistake deeply and write a self-criticism." A year should be plenty of time to meditate on his middle finger.

Tags: Song Xingyu, speed skating, Winter Sports Administration