Recently, Dutch golfer Joost Luiten found himself in a legal tangle with his own country’s Olympic committee. The drama? A spot in the upcoming Paris Olympics golf tournament. In short, the Netherlands’ Olympic bigwigs decided Luiten’s world ranking (147th at the time) wasn’t up to snuff for the 60-player Olympic field. They figured he didn’t stand a chance, so why bother sending him?
Luiten, understandably miffed, took his case to court. And guess what? He won. A Dutch judge ordered the Olympic committee to include him in the lineup. Victory lap time, right? Not so fast. By the time the dust settled on Luiten’s legal win, his spot had already been given away. The International Golf Federation (IGF) had moved on (just like your ex), submitting their list of 60 golfers, including alternates for the Dutch players.
In a last-ditch effort, the IGF asked the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to bend the rules and expand the field to 61 players. But the IOC wasn’t having it. They shut down the request, leaving Luiten out in the cold. Frustrated, Luiten took to Instagram, blasting the IOC for not respecting Dutch law or showing any “fair play”. He even questioned how the Olympics could claim to be built on those principles. I’m going to have to politely disagree with the whole not being mindful of Dutch legislation, considering a previously convicted child rapist was welcomed with open arms.
This isn’t Luiten’s first Olympic disappointment. He was kept from the Tokyo Games for similar reasons. Now, despite being 40th in the Olympic rankings, he’s watching his dream slip away again. The men’s golf competition kicks off on August 1st at Le Golf National. As it stands, Luiten won’t be there. But who knows? There’s talk he might appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which the IOC does recognize.