All is Fair in Sports?
by Caroline Hellman

What sort of rules should exist for athletes and injury?

Michelle Kwan recently pulled a groin muscle and was unable to skate in the National Championships for skating. She petitioned officials to let her skate in Turino nonetheless, and her petition was granted. The last time this happened was when Nancy Kerrigan had the infamous knee injury thanks to the lovely Tonya Harding, and was granted a leave. That was sort of a different set of circumstances, however, as Tonya's thug boyfriend was sort of involved in Nancy's skating-related injury.

As a result of Kwan's petition, Emily Hughes, who won the bronze at Nationals, will not get to skate in the Olympics. This seems problematic and unfair, to say the least. Sasha Cohen skated with the flu, and won. I am not advocating Kwan skating with a pulled groin muscle, just the ethicality of bumping someone else from competition when she never competed herself. Who knew what would have happened, had she been there? She could have won, and she could have placed 10th. It just goes to show that there is little fairness in love and war.