Skier Jacky Chamoun Says Lebanese Support her Despite Photos
Lebanese Olympic skier Jacky Chamoun depicted in revealing photographs and a video that circulated on the Internet said her country's sports officials are "on my side."
Three years ago, Jacky Chamoun posed for a calendar photo shoot. Behind-the-scenes footage recently was posted online, and Lebanon's sports and youth minister reportedly ordered an investigation.
But Chamoun said in an interview Thursday with The Associated Press that most people have been "supporting me and defending me."
Youssef Chamel Khalil, the administrator of Lebanon's Olympic Alpine team, said "there is no problem" for Chamoun, and she will compete in the Sochi Games.
"It's OK. In Lebanon, there is a little bit another way to think," Khalil said. "Lebanon is a country of so many cultures."
The 22-year-old Chamoun is scheduled to race in the slalom Feb. 21.
She said the footage that found its way onto the Internet was never supposed to surface. She has spoken about the video with photographer Hubertus Von Hohenlohe, the German prince and skier who is competing in his sixth Olympics for Mexico. She said he apologized.
"He's a really good friend. It's not his fault," said Chamoun, who is from Beirut and lives in Geneva. "Not one of us knew that someone was going to search for this and do this. We didn't expect it at all."
She said that whoever put the images online was "someone who wanted to ... hurt me or the federation or the Olympic committee. We don't know. We cannot know the exact reason. It wasn't supposed to happen, but it happened."
Reached by the AP, Von Hohenlohe said that in his shots of Chamoun for the calendar, "you can't see anything of Jacky."
"Basically, I don't know what they're talking about. I think someone wanted to do harm," he said. "The pictures I took and in my calendar, you cannot see anything. Something happened. ... I don't know what you see. I know that they're not naked."
Chamoun said she initially was embarrassed the footage was on the Internet, but now she has come to terms with it.
"It happened," she said. "I have to go with it."
13 February 2014, 15:22
00
god bless you Jackie
people who talked about you got smaller and you Jackie got bigger
freedom
god bless real Lebanese ( country before religion)
13 February 2014, 15:25
38
You are so fine, we are behind you to the end. Do not let the noise around you disturb you. Keep your focus on the target.
13 February 2014, 15:27
84
"Lebanon is a country of so many cultures."
WRONG! A new Lebanon with a new face and a new supreme culture is on the way
http://videobam.com/uJcfQ
13 February 2014, 15:32
211
Two married women get beaten to death, no one cares ,barely condemns it or talks about it, or even lifts a finger. When a teen strips, everyone gets excited and its all over the social networks. Are we for real?
13 February 2014, 15:51
44
Thank you Jackie for (unwillingly) uniting Lebanese despite political differences.
You have shown us there is hope for this country after all.
Such are the causes we should be fighting for ! Human values, human rights, women's rights, freedom of expression, aspiring for a better future, openness and tolerance !
Whether you follow Iran, Syria or Saudi Arabia, you are most definitely on a regressive and oppressive path which holds no place in our future. You are irrelevant !
Lebanese should unite to put an end to extremist, conservatism, religious grasp on society and ignorance !
13 February 2014, 15:55
00
Hajieh.Hayat yes she is a woman a good looking woman.I bet if you have her beauty and body you would not hesteid to pose for Playboy
13 February 2014, 15:56
25
We're with you Jackie. It's your body, your life, your business. That Neanderthal minister needs to worry about his own sorry life and rotten values.
13 February 2014, 16:07
00
At least she s good at something..right? I mean her skiing is horrible but now she found something she s good at.. nude pics.. nothing wrong with that..u gotta do what u gotta do to survive.. u go girl.. Drop your skies
13 February 2014, 16:44
133
Guys,
I suggest you all sign the petition.
unless you support m8 and their extremism and/or the salafis and their extremism, then we should all sign this petition.
13 February 2014, 18:49
411
no, i just dislike you and everything you stand for.
i'm just surprised this comment didnt come with a couplet chanting your love of israel.
13 February 2014, 18:52
214
we're all behind you jackie, even if that sounds a little saucy ;)
13 February 2014, 18:58
00
majorities change over time, you might be a majority now, wait 10 years when all the kids who don't go church or mosque and don't care about your praised eastern morality grow up. then Lebanon will truly be a free country
13 February 2014, 19:26
13
I honestly don't know what's all the fuss about, a beautiful girl has bared it, and the filthy hypocrites have given themselves a new lease of life to attack what is in truth but a blip. Personally I found it pleasant, that something this nice has come from Lebanon. It killed no one, harmed no one, except giving a blood rush for some, to the wrong part known as the tongue for those who have nothing else but talk. Jackie is free to do what she likes, the best thing to do for Lebanon is stop forthwith whipping a dead horse, for heavens sake!!
14 February 2014, 14:41
00
Familyguy, I respect your views, but I'll stick to my position irrespective. Masalan, how about this in comparison, quite recently, a young girl was stoned to death by the Satanist Takfiris in Syria, and you know why? Because she had a Facebook account. Did any screwed up head in Lebanon even bother to raise the matter? No. Please, let's leave Jackie do whatever she wants, she hasn't harmed anyone, skying with little clothing is nothing new, even here in Faraya, of course, not in Irbill if you caught my drift.
13 February 2014, 20:56
21
Jacky: put on a shador for a while , so they will be pleased.
13 February 2014, 21:26
00
Naharnet, it is not only that Jackie "says" that the Lebanese people support her ... The Lebanese people truly support her ...
13 February 2014, 23:28
10
"BigJohn & Cityboy
You are Dinausors."
anonytexas, I never knew posting an opinion on here makes one a dinosaur. Perhaps your idea of woman's right differ than ourselves. I told you before I am no angel when it comes to admiring the beauty of the opposite sex. But that has nothing to do with what you call my conspiracy theory. It is no conspiracy, often acts like Jackie are not by accident. They happen as part of an agenda. It doesn't matter to me who posted the pictures, but who did it was carrying out there mission.
14 February 2014, 00:02
10
anonytexas, I don't know where it is that I skipped the part of the conspiracy theory. Can I tell you every detail of this event first hand, and who was motivated by what, of course not. I am just asking that people look at the bigger picture when events like this occur and why they may happen. Do I believe everything she says that these pics were not suppose to go public, or that they were not supposed to happen. I will stick to my suspicion. She goes on to say that she was embarrassed at first by now she is ok with it. Was Al-Jadeed tv the one to dig up the pictures or were they more likely handed to them, probably by someone around Jackie.
14 February 2014, 00:04
10
The damage is done, the public spectacle is already taking place, politicians draw more attention, and then you get supporters and paid shills going on about how its liberating for girls to pose themselves.
14 February 2014, 00:06
13
I'm very happy to see that so many of us here on Naharnet who have never agreed on most things all can be united in support of our Olympic representative. No M8 or M14 politician could unite us so well as this lady's tits have. Even Aoun has become willing to unblock the cabinet formation. Go Jackie! Do your best on the slalom! Lebanon's proud of you!
14 February 2014, 00:15
10
anonytexas
"Btw have you seen how hundreds of Lebanese in Lebanon and from all of Lebanon are stripping half naked and posting their photos on Facebook."
You don't need to attack a country with bullets when you can feed on their stupidity. By all means, if this is what these Lebanese find liberating then sure take that path. Of course, who am I to say. Cultural suppression is a powerful force and it is further strengthened by the ignorant. What can I say, maybe Lebanon does not stand a chance, maybe it will be a 'role' for others in the middle east.
14 February 2014, 00:18
10
As I said before anontexas, I don't care what one girl does with her body, I have an issue when it becomes politically motivated and systematically imposed on a society by those that seek to do harm to that society. So please don't ask me to mind my own business because the preservation of Lebanese culture and values is my business. You want to go back to 1960 Lebanese magazine to prove your point, its as if you are proud that some Lebanese girls think its some sort of social passing to pose semi or fully naked.
14 February 2014, 00:22
10
I wont comment anymore on this subject because I am falling in the trap of also given this event more attention then it is deserved.
14 February 2014, 00:34
20
None of that is ok, I am the first to want a better Lebanon, but you missing the point of her act and what the true motives are regarding acts like that. Of course the cause is genuine but its the true message that is being missed by the gullible. I wish I could explain it more but I don't as I said, I don't want to give this event more attention then it deserves.
14 February 2014, 01:07
10
again I never defended the politicians, in fact they should not have even mentioned her or even discussed her. because they are just adding more attention to the message. You are right, the politicians do need to worry about fixing everything that is wrong in Lebanon and not get side tracked by such an event like Jackies.
14 February 2014, 01:13
10
And if the politicians are doing wrong, it doesn't mean that the general public needs to follow suit. Posing semi naked pictures on FB to show support is utterly stupid and re-enforces the messages that is being sent. I don't know how much Jackie is a victim in this or an acting participant. In the end, it hasn't furthered anything to the cause you speak of except instill a further false sense of liberation of to our society. Call me dinosaur if you like, I know I am far from one.
14 February 2014, 01:34
11
I will commend you on one thing anonytexas, its nice to see you debating without resorting to insults and to the standard labelling and stupid rhetoric that is so often present on these boards.
14 February 2014, 14:45
00
By the way, why attack Jackie? We so often see belly dancers so scantily dressed dancing on TV, try to talk to any viewer and just watch how stuck their noses are to the screen. Why does no one of those big tongues big shots in Lebanon even make no mention mention of videos showing such suggestive clips of our so-called women singers? Walaw?
14 February 2014, 16:38
00
glad i can still find a post from you that i can vote up anonyme. it's getting far too rare...
