Thai flag raised without Thai athlete in Paris
published : 12 Aug 2024 at 07:14
writer: Gary Boyle
ORIGINAL SOURCE/WRITER: Online Reporters
Viewers were left confused on Friday night when the Thai flag was raised during a medal ceremony for the Paris 2024 Olympics, even though no Thai athlete had won a medal.
The mix-up occurred during the medal presentation for the men’s heavyweight boxing category, in which Uzbekistan took gold, Azerbaijan won silver and Tajikistan won bronze alongside Spain. Two bronze medals are awarded in Olympic boxing.
As the athletes stood on the podium to receive their medals, the Thai flag was displayed in place of the Tajikistani flag. The Tajikistan flag was not raised.
Despite the mix-up, all four boxers carried on with the ceremony and posed happily for a photograph.
A Reddit user noted that the country codes of Thailand (TH) and Tajikistan (TJ) are close. The letters “H and J are beside each other on a keyboard, so it could’ve been a human error.”
Learn from listening
Vocabulary
- athlete: someone who is good at sports and takes part in sports competitions - นักกีฬา
- award: to give something to somebody as a prize, payment, etc - มอบให้
- ceremony (noun): a formal public event - งานพิธี
- error (noun): a mistake, especially one that causes problems or affects the result of something - ข้อผิดพลาด,ความผิดพลาด
- flag (noun): a piece of cloth with a special coloured design on it that may be the symbol of a particular country or organization, or may have a particular meaning. A flag can be attached to a pole or held in the hand - ธง
- medal: a flat piece of metal, usually shaped like a coin, that is given to the winner of a competition or to somebody who has been brave, for example in war - เหรียญรางวัล
- mix-up (noun): a mistake or problem that happens because someone is confused about details - สถานการณ์สับสนวุ่นวาย (เพราะตัดสินใจหรือทำผิดพลาด)
- podium: a small raised area where someone stands to give a speech, conduct an orchestra, give out awards, etc. - แท่น, พลับพลา
- presentation (noun): the act of presenting something to people - การแสดง
- raise: to lift; to move something to a higher level - ยกขึ้น
