8 Greatest Olympic Blunders

In light of the recent snafu in the men's 10,000 meters speed skating event, here's a list of eight of the greatest gaffes in Olympic history.

• 8. Nagano 1998:

  

  Canadian snowboarder Ross Rebagliati lost his gold after testing positive for marijuana, but later got it back, since marijuana is not a performance-enhancing drug.

• 7. St. Moritz 1948:

  

  The United States sent two different teams to the ice hockey competition.

• 6. London 2012:

  

  The Olympic logo drew immediate criticism, and numerous spoofs.

• 5. Vancouver 2010:

  

  Sven Kramer lost the 10,000 meter speed skating race after his coach told him to change lanes at the wrong time.

• 4. Berlin 1936:

  

  Boxer Thomas Hamilton-Brown consoled himself after his first-round loss by going on an eating binge. When it became clear that he had actually won, he was too heavy to compete in his weight class.

• 3. Rome 1960:

  

  Wym Essajas, the first ever athlete from Suriname to participate in the Olympics, was given the wrong starting time, and slept through the 800 meter race.

• 2. Stockholm 1912:

  

  Portuguese runner Francisco Lázaro covered his body with wax before the marathon, to prevent sunburn. The wax restricted his perspiration, and the runner died as a result.

• 1. Munich 1972 :

  

  Eddie Hart, the favourite for the 100 meters race, never showed up for the event because his coach, Stan Wright, used the wrong schedule.