Team France Speaks Out After Olympic Ban
Photo credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Team France made headlines yesterday, not due to their play, but because their federation suspended one of its own players Pierre Crinon from the rest of the tournament, due to his altercation with Tom Wilson of Team Canada a couple days ago.
But some of his teammates Hugo Gallet and Antoine Keller, believe it was completely unjustified to kick him off the team.
Multiple players defend Pierre Crinon of Team France.
Elliotte Friedman provided some more information on X on what his teammates Keller and Gallet thought of Crinon's suspension. With Gallet claiming this was due to a previous incident from Crinon, which involved him punching a goalie. Keller was not pleased with his suspension either.
A couple French players were upset at Pierre Crinon’s suspension Antoine Keller called it a joke. Hugo Gallet said Crinon didn’t deserve it, adding the French federation was “biased by something that happened before.” (Assuming he means the previous suspension for punching a goalie.)
The suspension does seem harsh, given the physical nature of the sport, fights happen every game. But this was apparently the cherry on top for the French federation and gave them what they needed to kick Crinon off the team. It is likely we will not see him in any international tournaments for the future.
Tom Wilson on the other hand has received no supplementary punishment. But fighting in the Olympics is strictly prohibited, if something like this happens again, there is likely to be a suspension or even a ban on Wilson's part. If Team Canada end up playing Team USA, these things become all the more likely, given last year at the Four Nations tournament, where the two teams had three fights in the first minute of their round robin game.
Also read on Blade of steel :
Team France Lays the Hammer Down on one of their Own Players
Team France Lays the Hammer Down on one of their Own Players
| POLL | ||
FEVRIER 17|300 ANSWERS Team France Speaks Out After Olympic Ban Should Team France have been more lenient with Pierre Crinon and his Olympic ban? | ||
| Yes | 185 | 61.7 % |
| No | 115 | 38.3 % |
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