London Olympics 2012 controversies

Morning newspaper round-up: Assessing China's performance as the London 2012 Olympic Games close.

Plenty of references in Chinese national papers to 'fair play' and 'fair refereeing'. Don't think badminton nor poor Liu Xiang will be quickly forgotten. 

SEVENTY per cent of Scotland’s Olympic medal winners went to state schools, despite suggestions that privately educated athletes dominate Team GB.

Team GB have enjoyed great success but the government wants the longer-term economic legacy to be just as productive.

TeamGB success has definitely provided a much needed boost to British moral, despite the fact that London became a showcase of corporate branding & entertainment. 

But sure that we'll soon come down again and remember the 13Bn spent, the jobs that haven't been created and the economy that has seen no real stimulation.

Syrian 400m hurdler Ghfran Almouhamad is disqualified from the Olympics after testing positive for a banned substance.

Yet another case of banned substances use at the Olympics, ultimately forfeiting the athletes training and performance whilst shaming herself, her team and her country. 

Olympic double gold medal winner says he now wants to add a third to his London 2012 collection...

Let the man enjoy his success: lets not spoil the moment with tall tales of performance enhancing drugs and unfair competition, Carl Lewis! 

250 “brand police” have been out in force during the London Olympics to protect brand sponsorships and battle against ambush marketing. Here are some of the creative ways that businesses wanting to cash in on the event have bent the rules ... And graffiti artists have succeeding in expressing the repressed views of the nation. Haha!

Disqualification of Tiffany Foster's horse has revealed the darker side of equestrian sports after her mount failed a sensitivity test 15 minutes before event. Did pressure from sponsorship and owners lead to the use of nasty practices or can the International Equestrian Federation be blamed for a miscarriage of justice? 

OPINION | In a cynical society, otherworldly performances such as Usain Bolt’s can’t be fully celebrated.

Usain Bolt has never been tested positive for using drug enhancing drugs. Is it then fair that we treat his performances with skepticism?  Innocent until proven guilty or guilty until proven innocent? 

The controversy behind junk food brands sponsoring the Olympics...

Should soda and fast-food companies be sponsoring the Olympics? Is this the message that the Olympics should be sending to our kids?

Sniffy French rivals have raised eyebrows – and suspicions – about Team GB’s ‘outrageous’ Olympics success.

The French merely throwing their toys out of the pram at Britain's success? After Hunter & Purchase's episode with the rowing and Hindes' fall in the cycling, what happened to British fair play?

Belarusian women's shot put gold medallist Nadzeya Ostapchuk is stripped of her title after failing a doping test.

"The restaurant chain's sponsorship of the Olympics has attracted criticism."

Should McDonald's be an official Olympics sponsor?

Topless feminist activists stormed central London yesterday, part of a radical Ukrainian group, protesting the Olympics' "support" for radical Islamist regimes.

Shouldn't these girls been left to peacefully protest? Don't understand why we have to be arrested for showing a bit of breast. GB freedom of speech seems to no longer exist when it involves the Olympics. 

Great Britain men's hockey team earned a contentious 1-1 draw with Spain and made it to the semi-finals for the first time since 1988...

Many believe that the referee did indeed reach the correct decision in the end, where others still maintain that GB home advantage counts for something.

With the London Games coinciding with the holy month of Ramadan, Muslim athletes are split between the desire to respect a pillar of their religion and maintaining the best possible physical condition to compete at the Olympics. Some Muslim countries are allowing athletes to find their own rhythm with regard to Ramadan, where others remain strict on respecting rules.