Canadian snowboarder Mark McMorris apologized to Maxence Parrot on Saturday following saying he, not the Quebecer, should have been on the top step of the podium in the slopestyle event at the start of the Games.
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“I let my emotions take over in the days following slopestyle and I sincerely want to apologize to Max,” McMorris wrote on Twitter.
McMorris, of Regina, had also apologized to Parrot himself earlier.
“He came to see me during the day and apologized for his lack of sportsmanship. I told him that there were no worries, ”said the Quebecer to certain media on the spot.
The descent “of his life”
All Canadian sports fans were thrilled when they watched Parrot win Olympic gold in slopestyle, just three years following a battle with cancer, leaving him without muscle mass or energy. In fact, all of them except teammate McMorris.
In an interview with CBC Sports on Friday, the 28-year-old said he should have won slopestyle gold in Beijing. The experienced windsurfer said he “made that day [l’une des meilleures descentes] of his life “.
McMorris dealt another blow to his compatriot, arguing that “everyone in the industry knew what happened that day”.
This tip refers to the failed plank grip by the athlete from Bromont, following a jump made during his spectacular descent which earned him a score of 90.96, the best in the final.
A “veteran” reflex
Rather than grabbing his board with his hand, what is known in the jargon as a grab, Parrot held his knee. A maneuver that might have been penalized by the judges, but which ultimately cost him no points.
Mark McMorris’ brother, Craig, analyzes the snowboarding events for the CBC during these Games. According to him, Parrot’s reflex of grabbing his knee when he saw that he mightn’t touch his board is a veteran one.
“It spins really fast and the judges have to give their scores really fast too,” he said on the air. So [les juges] say to themselves that he succeeded in his catch. »
The eldest McMorris also claims the TV feed the judges were entitled to was shoddy – he calls it trash – and that it may have impacted their scores.
“I don’t hide it”
Parrot admitted its fault on Friday.
“Everyone knows I missed my catch,” the snowboarder told CBC. I don’t hide it. »
But the gold medalist doesn’t believe that mistake was enough to knock him down a step or two from the Olympic podium.
“The difference is that [les deux autres médaillés] made several small mistakes. I made only one. She was more important, I agree. But it’s a judged sport and the fact is that I managed the most technical descent. No, she wasn’t perfect, and I think that’s why I didn’t get a 100 either. »
They respect each other
Former mentor of McMorris and current trainer of Parrot, Maxime Hénault believes that his athlete deserved the score awarded to him and the resulting gold medal.
Despite his protege’s error, Hénault thought he should have finished ahead of McMorris. The latter performed a less complex jump and committed two faults in his descent, including one on the rails.
The owner of the Maximise center says that the 27-year-old Bromontois trained very hard with him last summer in order to present jumps with a higher coefficient of difficulty at the Games.
“He was rewarded,” he says.
Hénault also recalls that this kind of controversy sometimes happens in slopestyle or big air, judged sports. And that, even if they “don’t necessarily call each other for a beer,” McMorris and Parrot have a lot of respect for each other.
The two snowboarders will meet once more at the start of the night on Monday for the big air qualifications. Another event in which they both aspire to a medal.
“I am impressed with what you have overcome and I am extremely proud to share the podium with you. Let’s get another one for Team Canada,” McMorris tweeted on Saturday.
