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Controversy - what do you think? |
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Many people have criticised Mr Kevan Gosper for allowing his daughter to be the first Australian torch-bearer for Sydney 2000. Sophie Gosper, 11, stepped into the role expected to be filled by a 16-year-old Greek-Australian, Yianna Souleles, shown on the left. This last-minute change shocked a lot of people in Australia. Yianna Souleles was gracious in her remarks. "Sophie did what she had to do and I did what I had to do. The girl is a great girl. She's really nice. No-one ever said that I would be the first Australian runner." Mr Gosper appeared to have no regrets over his daughter's run, saying in Olympia: "Somehow in my heart it was intended to be and, you know, I am an Olympian. I started as an Olympian and to see Sophie carry the torch today was really something." Other officials, who were in Greece with their children, none of whom ran with the torch, did not think it was fair that Mr Gosper showed favouritism towards his daughter, giving her the most important job in the torch relay. In Athens, Yianna said she couldn't remember much about her now famous leg of the relay, saying it all happened so quickly. She thought she ended up being the eighth runner, but was not sure. However, she remembered the men in the support vehicle behind shouting repeatedly on a loudspeaker: "Brava Yianna! Brava Yianna!" In Sydney, her whole family plans to be at the airport when she returns at the weekend. It is a difficult job choosing who will run with the torch, and the job is often given to people who are famous, have done a lot of good for their community, or who have paid a lot of money to help sponsor the Olympics. Mr Gosper has an important job with the Olympic organisation, and he is already being investigated for having accepted free travel and accomodation for his family by a group wanting him to support their bid to run the 2002 Winter Olympics. When the Greek organisers suggested his daughter should be the first Australian runner with the torch, do you think he should have agreed? |