Damning photos emerge after China bias accusations at Winter Olympics

Commentators have suggested China is getting some fortunate calls at the Winter Games while rival stars say there’s blatant bias on show.

Winter Olympics officials have come under scrutiny amid suggestions Chinese skaters have received favourable treatment as speed skating in Beijing causes plenty of drama.

Local hero Ren Ziwei saluted in the final of the men’s 1000m, but question marks arose over the nature of his victory and whether his rivals were treated unfairly by the judges.

The race consisted of three Chinese skaters, including Ren, and Hungarian brothers Shaolin Sandor Liu and Shaoang Liu, who have a Chinese father.

A couple of laps in, the referee called for a safety reset because of metal parts on the track. At the restart, Shaolin Sandor Liu pulled into the lead, before finishing just ahead of Ren.

Ren appeared to grab Shaolin Sandor across the chest as they crossed the finish line, and the result went to review as officials checked for other penalties.

Shaolin Sandor put his hands together in prayer as he gazed up at the screen waiting for the result. But in the end he was disqualified, earning a yellow card for two earlier penalties in the race.

Shaolin Sandor was pinged for “lane change causing contact” as he surged towards the line, paving the way for Ren to take gold as his compatriot Li Wenlong claimed silver, and the younger Liu, Shaoang, ended up with bronze.

Social media users pointed at photos of Shaolin Sandor’s tangle with Ren, and questioned if the Chinese skater should have been penalised for making contact with his rival.

Did Ren Ziwei (right) grab onto Shaolin Liu? Photo: Getty Images

Everyone was jostling for position. (Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)

The ice is no place for the faint-hearted. (Photo by Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP)

Shaolin Sandor left the rink almost immediately and did not speak to media. His brother said the race had been an “emotional rollercoaster”.

“After, when we both went inside to the changing room, we were just sitting and holding our heads,” Liu said. “But I told him, you have to forget this … We still have racing days … We have to fight for the gold.”

Asked about the officials’ decision, he added: “I think everyone was just super excited and the race was super crazy. There was a lot of pushes, a lot of passes.

“We are not referees, there is nothing we can do. It was a pretty exciting race from the start to the end.”

Earlier in the day, South Korean world record holder Hwang Dae-heon was disqualified for an “illegal late pass causing contact”.

After the semi-finals of the men’s 1000m, Australian Winter Olympics icon Steven Bradbury said China was receiving the rub of the green on the ice.

“Unbelievable. All three Chinese (in the final) — really having the gift of short track,” Bradbury said.

Once the final had been run and won, Bradbury added: “Nothing could be more favourable for the Chinese team with the judges than what’s happened tonight here in Beijing.”

Ren reflected on the chaotic events after his golden effort.

“It was really intense. There were collisions. It was a tough race,” he said.

“We are short track skaters. It happens. We all fight for gold, never for less than that.”

Sport isn't always fair. (Photo by Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP)

That controversy came after South Korean speed skater Kwak Yoon-gy had earlier questioned the judging in Beijing after China won gold in the mixed team relay.

China finished third in its semi-final but still advanced to the decider after Russia (ROC) and the USA were disqualified for obstruction and blocking, while South Korea was eliminated in a different race.

Kwak said China should have been disqualified too.

“Looking at the way China won the gold medal, I felt bad that my younger teammates had to watch something like that,” Kwak said, per the Yonhap news agency.

“I thought to myself, ‘Is this really what winning a gold medal is all about?’ Things all just felt very hollow.

“I was watching that race unfold. I figured China, ROC and the US would get penalised. The Dutch skaters who were watching it with me said the same thing.

“But as the review dragged on, I figured China was going to be allowed to progress. And when the call was finally made, I found it difficult to accept it.

“If it had been any other country than China in that situation, I wondered if that team would still have been allowed to reach the final like that?

“I felt that could have been us at the wrong end of all this.

“I thought about how upsetting and frustrating it would have been if we’d been a part of that.”

Originally published as Damning photos emerge after China bias accusations at Winter Olympics