L-R: Su Yiming of China, Max Parrot and Mark McMorris of Canada pose with their medals at Zhangjiakou Medals Plaza after the men's snowboard slopestyle final at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games at Genting Snow Park in Zhangjiakou, north China's Hebei Province, February 7, 2022. /CFP
Iztok Sumatic, head snowboard judge for the men's slopestyle final at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games on Monday, admitted to White Lines that the final scores would be different if they hadn't missed the grab by gold medalist Max Parrot of Canada.
Parrot was given 90.96 points in his second run, the score that brought him the gold medal. After the competition, many, including spectators, journalists and snowboard experts questioned the result and pointed out that the judges missed a knee grab by Parrot.
"Double knee grab. Way overscored – like there's an extra three points in that sector," British sports commentator Ed Leigh told the BBC. "So then take that into [the] overall run as well. Max Parrot has 100 percent overscored there. The judges have missed that one."
Max Parrot of Canada competes in the men's snowboard slopestyle final at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games at Genting Snow Park in Zhangjiakou, north China's Hebei Province, February 7, 2022. /CFP
Su Yiming of China had the silver medal with 88.70 points. If three points had been cut from Parrot's score, Su would have won that title.
Sumatic said they missed the grab in the angle they were given and they had to make the decision quickly because it's live. Moreover, the decision could not be changed even after the judges realized their mistake.
"It's live scoring – we have to score from the live feeds. That was the angle we were given, and it felt like a legit trick from that point of view," Sumatic said.
"It would be different scores yes," he added, while stressing multiple times that Parrot's performance was insane on the rails.
Max Parrot of Canada poses with his medal at Zhangjiakou Medals Plaza after the men's snowboard slopestyle final at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games at Genting Snow Park in Zhangjiakou, north China's Hebei Province, February 7, 2022. /CFP
Sumatic and the other judges have come under a lot of criticism due to the results, but many also expressed understanding and support for their decision, including Su's coach French snowboarder Mathieu Crepel, according to Sumatic.
Judging errors have occurred in professional sports for a long time and led to the introduction of the video assistant referee (VAR) to football and Hawk-Eye to tennis.
"After this is all over, I'm definitely going to speak my mind on what I think could improve, and what could help us," Sumatic said.