The Jeruselum Post reported on August 9 that the Iranian, Mohammad Alirezaei, refused to race Israeli swimmer, Tom Be’eri, in Beijing. But despite the Iranians’ poor sportsmanship, Tom Be’eri (among other record-setting Israeli swimmers) also set a new Israeli record on Saturday, finishing the 100m breaststroke in 1.02:42m, improving Vadim Alexeev’s 13-year-old record to end the competition in 42nd position. (JP)

GulfNews:

Beijing: Iran could face action from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) if it pulled out of the men’s swimming event because of Israel, officials said on Sunday.

Iranian swimmer Mohammad Alirezaei skipped Saturday’s 100-metre breastroke heats, which also featured Israel’s Tom Beeri.

International Olympic Committee spokeswoman Giselle Davies said she was unaware of the incident, but reiterated IOC policy.

“Unaware of the incident”? Or just unwilling to confront it?

“Under the spirit of respect and fairplay, if it is confirmed that he deliberately pulled out then the IOC would take it seriously,” Davies said.

Seriously, though, what other reason could there possibly have been for Alirezaei skipping the 100-metre breaststroke heats?

According to the Jeruselum Post, he was ordered not to compete by Iranian officials.

Politics reared its ugly head at the Olympic Games once more on Saturday after an Iranian swimmer refused to compete alongside Israeli Tom Be’eri.

Mohammad Alirezaei was due to race against Be’eri in the fourth heat of the 100 meter breaststroke, but pulled out, apparently under the orders of the chiefs of the Iranian delegation.

“This isn’t the first time this has happened and it doesn’t surprise me anymore,” Olympic Committee of Israel General Secretary Efraim Zinger told The Jerusalem Post. “Politics takes precedence over sport with the Iranians and the Olympic spirit is as far from them as east is far from west.

“My heart goes out to the Iranian athletes. In the Athens Olympics one of their sportsmen, who was a gold medal favorite, had to pull out because he was drawn against an Israeli.

“There’s no place for this kind of behavior in the Olympic movement and it’s a shame it continues.”

But it’s no surprise that it continues. Jews are descendants of pigs and monkeys to arabs; that’s why there should never be ‘competition’ between them that might show an Israeli to be superior.

In the end, the winner is Israel. Iranian officials should grow up and stop with the cowardly lion act.

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