Controversial calls by referees? That’s an old story in sports. But when it comes to the Olympics, the stakes are too high for such drama. Unfortunately, the Paris Olympics have seen their fair share of it. The Women’s Judo 57kg semi-finals between Rafaela Silva and Huh Mi-mi became a flashpoint of controversy, reminiscent of past Olympic disputes.

Fans were transported back to the infamous 1988 Seoul Olympics boxing match, where American Roy Jones Jr. was robbed of gold in a shocking decision. In Paris, the echoes of that injustice resonated as Silva and Huh Mi-mi grappled fiercely on the mat. The crowd’s cheers turned to gasps when a contentious call by the referee swayed the match’s outcome.

After two smooth wins, Rafaela was up against Korea’s Huh Mi-mi, and things got intense. Despite a strong show from the Brazilian judoka, she ended up getting hit with two shidos (penalties) during their showdown. In a nail-biter of an ending, Huh managed to pin Silva for 10 seconds and snagged a 1-0 victory. So why are Brazilian fans fuming about this result?

Well, here’s the scoop: Huh took a super defensive tactic throughout the match, which led her to win by forcing Rafaela Silva into penalties instead of making aggressive moves herself. There were some pretty shady moments where fans felt like Mi-mi might’ve faked some actions without facing any penalties—while Rafaela got handed two!

Social media has exploded over this whole officiating mess—especially X—where fans are calling out judges for quite frankly “disgusting” decisions. Let’s dive into just how upset people really are!

Brazilian fans left raging after Rafaela Silva’s loss

‘Horrible,’ ‘disgusting,’ and ‘absurd’ are just a few words fans are lobbing at the refs after the Rafaela Silva vs. Huh Mi-mi match. One fan really summed up the frustration with a rant that captures all of it: “F**k you bunch of thieving judges.” They also pointed out how this isn’t an isolated incident, comparing it to Brazil’s Women Beam Balance star Julia Soares who the fan believes also got robbed. “They started by robbing Julia Soares on the ground and then they robbed Rafaela Silva in judo,” said the angry fan.

Another user chimed in, calling Silva’s loss disgusting and calling out Mi-mi for what they thought were fake attacks that went unpunished by the judges: “Rafaela’s defeat in judo is disgusting, the Korean kept putting in fake attacks to generate volume. I doubt the judge would accept this from the Brazilian.” One more Brazilian fan took issue with Mi-mi’s defensive style, saying she keeps throwing herself on the mat instead of facing off against Rafa: “The woman threw herself to the ground. Where’s the chest to face our Rafa?”

One fan said they felt like the loss was a total heist, commenting, “We lost but we were robbed and the Korean woman ran away.” Another user jumped in with some criticism over judo rules, saying, “Bro these judo rules don’t make any sense when you think you’re winning it’s a penalty.”

It’s pretty clear Brazilian supporters are not taking this decision well, especially since this could have been the chance for Brazil to bag their first gold at the Paris Olympics. Talk about turning up the heat! Hence, participate in the comments below.