Former world champion sprinter Kim Collins had his London Olympic experience cut short on Saturday and was not allowed to compete in the final heat of the men’s 100-meter, but you will never guess why. Prior to Saturday’s race, Collins was sent home by his country for a violation of team rules. When we hear of something like that, we typically assume it has to do with drug testing or some sort of legal matter. You would likely never imagine that an Olympian would be sent home for visiting his wife in a hotel.
According to The Guardian, the team decided to take discplinary action against Collins — who carried the flag for St. Kitts and Nevis during the Opening Ceremony — after it learned that he had left the Olympic Village without permission to visit his wife. A team spokesman said Collins had been away from the village for “the last couple of days.” Collins took to Twitter early Saturday to express his frustration and disbelief.
“My fans. I won’t lie. Won’t be running later tonight,” he wrote. “For those who saw me run in Mexico, that’s the last time I represent my country. Even men in prison get their wives to visit.”
Rules may be rules, but it’s tough to argue that this isn’t a ridiculous decision. We hear stories about emergency shipments of condoms and people having sex out in the open in the Olympic Village and that’s all fine, but somehow a 36-year old man has to see his Olympic dreams come crashing down because he missed his wife. Between Collins’ story and the one about the shooting couple who wasn’t allowed to share a bed, I think it’s time some teams start rethinking their priorities in terms of rules governing the athletes’ personal lives.
H/T The Big Lead
