Sochi 2014: Skier Jacky Chamoun's topless photos cause stir in Lebanon
updated 6:19 PM EST, Thu February 13, 2014
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- NEW: Supporters rally to skier Chamoun's defense, pose topless in solidarity
- The athlete apologizes on Facebook over topless photos and video
- Photos taken for ski calendar three years ago
- Lebanese author Joumana Haddad says saga has been blown out of proportion
But the Lebanese athlete, who is set to compete in the slalom and giant slalom at the Winter Olympics, has been forced to apologize after photos and a video of her topless from a fashion shoot dating back three years ago surfaced.
The footage, part of a behind-the-scenes look at her posing for an old Austrian skiing calendar, has caused a stir in the Arab nation.
Writing on her Facebook page, the 22-year-old admitted being photographed "with other professional athletes" and pointed out that the pictures for the calendar are different from those "now circulating on the net."
Canada forward Jonathan Toews fights for the puck in the second period of the gold medal men's hockey game against Sweden on Sunday, February 23. As world-class athletes compete in the Winter Olympics, we expect to see elegant and thrilling performances. But some finishes, in triumph, defeat or just plain exhaustion, often involve landing hard on a cold, wet surface. Here, we take a lighter look at those giving their all for a chance at the gold. | More photos: Visions of Sochi
Skiers collapse on the snow after the men's 50-kilometer mass start free on February 23.
The Czech Republic's Jiri Magal takes a fall in the men's cross-country skiing 50-kilometer mass start free on February 23.
Coraline Hugue of France is exhausted on Saturday, February 22, after finishing seventh in the women's 30-kilometer mass start free cross-country event.
Eva Vrabcova-Nyvltova of the Czech Republic collapses on February 22 after the women's 30-kilometer mass start free cross-country event.
Coraline Hugue of France collapses after the women's 30-kilometer mass start free cross-country event on February 22.
Prince Hubertus von Hohenlohe of Mexico goes down in the first run of the men's slalom on February 22.
Patrick Thaler of Italy crashes out in the first run of the men's slalom on February 22.
Emily Nishikawa of Canada collapses after the women's 30-kilometer mass start free cross-country event on February 22.
Canada's Shea Weber grimaces as he falls down during the hockey semifinal against the United States on Friday, February 21.
America's Brooks Orpik, top, and Canada's Sidney Crosby fall to the ice during their semifinal game.
U.S. forward David Backes hits Canada's Patrick Sharp on February 21.
Italy's Arianna Fontana falls as she competes in a 1,000-meter short track speedskating race on February 21.
Elise Christie of Great Britain hits the wall while competing in a 1,000-meter short track semifinal.
Short track speedskater Satoshi Sakashita of Japan falls as he competes in the quarterfinals of the men's 500 meters on February 21.
Vladimir Grigorev of Russia, right, hits the wall while Freek van der Wart of the Netherlands falls in a 500-meter short track race February 21.
American speedskater J.R. Celski falls as he competes in the 500-meter short track competition on February 21.
China's Li Jianrou falls in the semifinals of the women's 1,000-meter short track competition on February 21.
Iranian skier Forough Abbasi falls during the women's slalom on February 21.
Stephanie Joffroy of Chile crashes in the women's ski cross on February 21.
Short track speedskaters Freek van der Wart of the Netherlands, left, and Vladimir Grigorev of Russia fall to the ice in the 500-meter quarterfinals on February 21.
Finland's Sami Vatanen, left, vies for the puck with Sweden's Gabriel Landeskog during the men's hockey semifinal on February 21.
Slovakia's Barbora Lukacova falls during the women's slalom on February 21.
Short track speedskater Satoshi Sakashita of Japan hits the wall during the men's 500 meters on February 21.
Kim Hae-jin of South Korea falls as she competes in the women's figure skating competition on Thursday, February 20.
Canada's Brady Leman crashes in the men's ski cross final on February 20.
Amy Sheehan of Australia crashes during the women's halfpipe on February 20.
Angeli Vanlaanen of the United States crashes in the women's halfpipe on February 20.
Russian figure skater Julia Lipnitskaia falls as she performs her free skate on February 20.
Brita Sigourney of the United States crashes in the women's halfpipe on February 20.
Akiko Suzuki of Japan falls during the figure skating competition February 20.
Rosalind Groenewoud of Canada crashes in the women's halfpipe.
Russian figure skater Julia Lipnitskaia falls on February 20.
Victor Oehling Norberg of Sweden, left, and Egor Korotkov of Russia crash during the quarterfinals of the men's ski cross on February 20.
The members of Norway's Nordic combined team -- Magnus Hovdal Moan, Magnus Krog, Haavard Klemetsen and Joergen Graabak -- celebrate after winning the gold medal February 20.
The Swiss women's hockey team celebrates after winning the bronze-medal game against Sweden on February 20.
Sweden's Johanna Olofsson fights for the puck during the women's hockey game against Switzerland.
Czech figure skater Elizaveta Ukolova falls while competing in the women's individual competition on February 20.
Venezuelan skier Jose Antonio Pardo Andretta crashes during his first run in the giant slalom Wednesday, February 19.
Biathlete Matej Kazar of Slovakia falls over the finish line during the mixed relay event on February 19.
Swedish figure skater Viktoria Helgesson falls during her short program on February 19.
Dow Travers of the Cayman Islands crashes during the men's giant slalom on February 19.
Snowboarder Amelie Kober of Germany runs wide during the women's parallel slalom on February 19.
Antonio Ristevski of Macedonia falls during the men's giant slalom on February 19.
U.S. skier Ted Ligety arrives at the finish line of the men's giant slalom on February 19.
Zhang Yuxin of China competes in the men's giant slalom.
Spain's Alex Puente Tasias crashes in the first run of the men's giant slalom.
Sebastiano Gastaldi of Argentina crashes during his first giant slalom run.
Pol Carreras of Spain is seen in action during the men's giant slalom.
Andorra's Joan Verdu Sanchez crashes in the first run of the men's giant slalom.
Russian hockey player Alexander Ovechkin, right, falls while playing against Norway's Alexander Bonsaksen during an Olympic game Tuesday, February 18.
Japan's Kentaro Tsuda crashes in the men's halfpipe on February 18.
Alexander Ovechkin of Russia checks Ole-Kristian Tollefsen of Norway during the men's hockey game February 18.
Russia's Pavel Nabokikh crashes in the men's halfpipe on February 18.
Bob de Jong, a Dutch speedskater, reacts after the men's 10,000 meters on February 18. He won bronze in the event.
Slovakia's Kristina Saalova falls during a run in the women's giant slalom on February 18.
Emil Hegle Svendsen of Norway, left, crosses the line to win gold ahead of Martin Fourcade of France in the men's 15-kilometer mass start biathlon on February 18.
Italy's Denise Karbon lies on the slope after falling during the women's giant slalom on February 18.
Short track speedskaters compete in the 3,000-meter relay on February 18.
Peter Crook, a freestyle skier from the British Virgin Islands, competes in the men's halfpipe on February 18.
Czech short track speedskater Katerina Novotna falls as she competes in the 1,000 meters on February 18.
Taihei Kato of Japan crashes as he competes in the large hill Nordic combined event on February 18.
American Eduardo Alvarez loses his balance and crashes into the wall February 18 during a 500-meter short track speedskating race.
Tina Maze of Slovenia reacts after a run in the women's giant slalom on February 18.
Norway's Joergen Graabak, bottom, celebrates with Norway's Magnus Hovdal Moan after the large hill Nordic combined event on February 18. Graabak won gold and Moan won silver.
Canadian hockey player Catherine Ward falls after she was hit in the Olympic semifinal against Switzerland on Monday, February 17.
David Morris of Australia celebrates after his jump in men's aerials on February 17.
Switzerland's Renato Ulrich crashes as he competes in the men's aerials on February 17.
Pavel Krotov of Russia crashes out in men's aerials.
Ilya Burov of Russia crashes as he competes in men's aerials.
Canada's Travis Gerrits crashes during men's aerials.
Denis Osipau of Belarus crashes during men's aerials.
Ukraine's Mykola Puzderko crashes in men's aerials.
Alexei Grishin of Belarus crashes in men's aerials.
Zhongqing Liu of China crashes in men's aerials.
Snowboarders fall during the quarterfinals of women's snowboard cross on Sunday, February 16.
Danish skier Christoffer Faarup crashes during the men's super-G on February 16.
Spain's Paul de la Cuesta competes in the men's super-G on February 16.
Canada's Erik Guay falls during the men's super-G.
Yuka Fujimori of Japan falls during the women's snowboard cross on February 16.
Petr Nedved of the Czech Republic falls to the ice after being checked by Switzerland's Yannick Weber during the men's hockey game on February 15.
China's Alang Ki, in red, and the USA's Emily Scott crash into the wall after colliding during the finals of the women's 1,500-meter short track speedskating race on February 15.
U.S. forward T.J. Oshie goes flying into the boards during the first period of the men's hockey game against Russia on February 15.
Swedish hockey player Daniel Sedin, in yellow, vies with Latvia's Sandis Ozolinsh on February 15.
U.S. skier Stacey Cook falls during the women's super-G on February 15.
Russian forward Yekaterina Smolentseva tumbles over Swiss goalie Florence Schelling during the women's hockey game on February 15.
Canada's Charles Hamelin crashes, taking out American Eduardo Alvarez during the quarterfinals of the 1,000-meter short track speedskating event.
Silver medalist Xu Mengtao of China lands while competing in the women's aerials on Friday, February 14.
Canada's P.K. Subban, bottom, collides with Austria's Oliver Setzinger during the men's ice hockey game on February 14.
Lydia Lassila of Australia crashes in the women's aerials on February 14.
Japan's Yuzuru Hanyu falls as he performs in the men's figure skating event on February 14.
Assoli Slivets of Belarus crashes in the women's aerials on February 14.
Patrick Chan of Canada falls during the men's figure skating competition on February 14.
Emily Cook of the United States crashes in the women's aerials.
China's Li Nina crashes in women's aerials.
Hanna Huskova of Belarus crashes out in women's aerials.
Russia's Alexandra Orlova crashes during the women's aerials.
Cross-country skier Elisa Gasparin of Switzerland collapses at the finish line of the women's 15-kilometer race on February 14.
Belarus' Alla Tsuper competes in the women's aerials.
French skier Alexis Pinturault crashes out during the men's super-combined event on February 14.
Norwegian cross-country skier Chris Andre Jespersen lies on the snow after crossing the finish line in the men's 15-kilometer classic on February 14.
Switzerland's Dario Cologna crosses the finish line to win gold in the men's 15-kilometer classic on February 14.
Latvia's Sandis Ozolinsh smashes into Milan Michalek of the Czech Republic during the men's hockey game on February 14.
Saevar Birgisson of Iceland collapses after competing in the men's 15-kilometer classic.
Hockey player Martin Erat of the Czech Republic falls to the ice February 14.
Cross-country skier Iivo Niskanen of Finland lies on the snow at the finish line of the men's 15-kilometer classic.
French skier Adrien Backscheider lies on the snow after the men's 15-kilometer classic.
Yuri Danilochkin of Belarus crashed during the downhill portion of the men's super-combined event February 14.
Ryan Kesler of the United States battles Slovakia's Michal Handzus for the puck during their men's hockey game on Thursday, February 13.
Jeremy Abbott of the United States hits the wall in front of his coaches, Yuka Sato and Jason Dungjen, while competing in the men's individual event on February 13.
Cross-country skier Mathilde Amivi Petitjean of Togo sits in the snow after crossing the finish line in the women's 10-kilometer classic on February 13.
South Korean speedskater Lee Bo-Ra falls during the women's 1,000 meters on February 13.
German speedskater Monique Angermueller falls during the women's 1,000 meters.
Skier Henrik Harlaut of Sweden falls during the men's slopestyle competition on February 13.
Cross-country skier Charlotte Kalla of Sweden reacts after crossing the finish line during the women's 10-kilometer classic on February 13.
From left, Italy's Arianna Fontana, Great Britain's Elise Christie and South Korea's Park Seung-Hi fall as they compete in the 500-meter short track speedskating final on February 13.
Russell Henshaw of Australia crashes out in the men's slopestyle finals on February 13.
Cross-country skier Alenka Cebasek of Slovenia falls to the ground after the women's 10-kilometer classic.
Aino-Kaisa Saarinen of Finland reacts after crossing the finish line during the women's 10-kilometer classic.
Oscar Wester of Sweden falls during the men's slopestyle.
Nicholas Goepper of the United States crashes in the men's slopestyle February 13.
Finland's Aleksi Patja crashes in the men's slopestyle.
Italy's Markus Eder crashes in the men's slopestyle.
Norway's Per Kristian Hunder crashes in the men's slopestyle.
Canada's Meagan Duhamel falls during her free skating routine with Eric Radford on Wednesday, February 12.
Kamil Stoch of Poland crashes during a training session for the large hill ski jumping event on February 12.
Kelly Clark of the United States falls during her first run in the women's halfpipe finals February 12.
Czech hockey player Martin Erat, right, collides with Sweden's Erik Karlsson, bottom, and Patrik Berglund during their game on February 12.
Italy's Stefania Berton falls as she performs with Italy's Ondrej Hotarek during pairs figure skating on February 12.
Skiers fall to the ground after the cross-country portion of the men's Nordic combined event February 12.
Megan Bozek of the United States, left, vies for the puck with Marie-Philip Poulin of Canada during their hockey game February 12.
Snowboarder Alexandra Duckworth of Canada crashes out in the women's halfpipe semifinals on February 12.
Riikka Valila of Finland takes a shot against Florence Schelling of Switzerland while teammates crash on the ice during a women's hockey game February 12.
Skier Marie Marchand-Arvier of France crashes during a run in the women's downhill event on February 12.
Laura Benz of Switzerland checks Saija Tarkki of Finland into the boards during a women's hockey game on February 12.
Snowboarder Kent Callister of Australia crashes out in the men's halfpipe finals on Tuesday, February 11.
Italy's Stefania Berton falls as she performs in pairs figure skating on February 11.
Russian speedskater Yekaterina Lobysheva falls while competing in the 500 meters on February 11.
Danny Davis of the United States falls during his first run in the halfpipe finals on February 11.
Snowboarder Seamus O'Connor of Ireland crashes during the men's halfpipe competition on February 11.
Italy's Matteo Guarise falls during his performance with Nicole Della Monica during pairs figure skating on February 11.
Linnea Backman of Sweden, center, fights for the puck against Nina Kamenik, left, and Kerstin Spielberger of Germany during their Group B hockey game on February 11.
Norway's Ingvild Flugstad Oestberg, top, and Maiken Caspersen Falla celebrate after finishing second and first, respectively, in the women's cross-country sprint on February 11.
Norway's Marit Bjoergen falls as she competes with Katja Visnar of Slovenia, left, and Denise Herrmann of Germany during the finals of the women's cross-country sprint on February 11.
Canadian skier Yuki Tsubota crashes in the slopestyle finals on February 11.
France's Johann Baisamy crashes in the men's halfpipe semifinals on February 11.
Finnish snowboarder Markus Malin falls on the halfpipe on February 11.
Slovenian biathlete Teja Gregorin, center, collapses at the finish line of the women's 10-kilometer pursuit on February 11.
Sweden's Jenni Asserholt falls after missing a hit on Germany's Julia Zorn during their ice hockey match on February 11.
Russian skier Anna Mirtova falls during slopestyle qualification on February 11.
Austria's Philomena Bair falls during slopestyle qualification on February 11.
Devin Logan of the United States slides down the mountain at the end of her slopestyle run on February 11.
Italian skier Silvia Bertagna falls during slopestyle qualification on February 11.
Snowboarder Dolf van der Wal of the Netherlands falls as he competes in the halfpipe on February 11.
Anna Mirtova of Russia falls while competing in the slopestyle event on February 11.
Anna Segal of Australia falls while competing in slopestyle.
Jack Whelbourne of Great Britain falls during the men's 1,500-meter short track speedskating final on Monday, February 10
Chinese skier Liu Zhongqing crashes during aerials training on February 10.
Speedskater Shi Jingnan of China crashes in a men's 1,500-meter short track race on February 10.
Australia's Daniel Greig crashes February 10 in the first heat of his 500-meter speedskating race.
Kazakhstan's Dmitriy Barmashov falls during qualifying for the men's moguls event on February 10.
Dutch speedskater Stefan Groothuis falls February 10 during the men's 500 meters.
Ville Miettunen of Finland crashes out in the men's moguls.
Russia's Sergey Volkov tumbles during the men's moguls.
Australia's David Morris falls February 10 during a training session for the men's aerials competition.
Dale Begg-Smith of Australia crashes in men's moguls.
Jussi Penttala of Finland crashes in men's moguls.
U.S. skier Laurenne Ross crashes during the women's super-combined event February 10.
Sjinkie Knegt of Netherlands and Se Young Park of South Korea compete in a 1,500-meter short track speedskating race on February 10.
Swiss hockey player Angela Frautschi, left, clashes with Kendall Coyne of the United States during their game February 10.
Chilean skier Noelle Barahona lies on the snow after she fell during the downhill portion of the super-combined event on February 10.
Great Britain's Jack Whelbourne, right, falls as he competes in the 1,500-meter short track final on February 10.
Snowboarder Otso Raisanen of Finland crashes during slopestyle training on February 10.
Short track speedskater Jessica Smith of the United States falls as Valeriya Reznik of Russia skates past her during the 500-meter preliminaries on February 10.
South Korea's Sin Da-Woon, left, falls as he competes in the 1,500-meter short track semifinals on February 10.
South Korea's Lee Han-Bin falls during the 1,500-meter semifinals.
The Netherlands' Sanne van Kerkhof, right, falls next to Italy's Lucia Peretti as they compete in the 3,000-meter short track relay February 10.
Canada's Charles Hamelin celebrates after winning the 1,500-meter final on February 10.
Dutch speedskater Sjinkie Knegt, left clashes with South Korea's Park Se Yeong in the men's 1,500-meter short track race.
Severin Freund of Germany crashes upon landing during the first round of the men's normal hill ski jumping event on Sunday, February 9.
Freund's crash continues.
Germany's Jacqueline Janzen, left, vies with Russia's Inna Dyubanok during a women's ice hockey match on February 9.
Jason Brown of the United States falls February 9 while competing in the men's free skate portion of the team figure skating event.
Canada's Kaetlyn Osmond falls as she performs in the women's free skate portion of the team figure skating event.
Canada's Megan Heinicke, left, and Poland's Monika Hojnisz collapse in the snow after competing in the 7.5-kilometer biathlon sprint on February 9.
Biathlete Ekaterina Shumilova of Russia collapses on the snow February 9 after crossing the finish line in the women's 7.5-kilometer sprint.
Biathlete Tora Berger of Norway collapses at the end of the women's 7.5-kilometer sprint.
Simon Ammann of Switzerland reacts after landing his final jump in the men's normal hill ski jumping event February 9.
Italian skier Christof Innerhofer reacts after winning the silver medal in the men's downhill February 9.
Dario Cologna of Switzerland won the men's skiathlon February 9.
Yekaterina Smolina of Russia slides on the ice after being checked by Anja Weisser of Germany during their ice hockey game February 9.
Swiss skier Dario Cologna, foreground, lies on the snow alongside other competitors in the men's skiathlon.
Callum Smith of Great Britain rests at the finish line of the men's skiathlon.
Slovenia's Robert Kranjec lies in the snow after falling in the men's normal hill ski jumping event Saturday, February 8.
Japan's Mao Asada falls as she performs in the team figure skating event on February 8.
Slovenia's Robert Kranjec falls while competing in the men's normal hill ski jumping event.
Biathletes Simon Desthieux of France and Ondrej Moravec of the Czech Republic get their skis tangled during the 10-kilometer sprint February 8.
Dmitry Malyshko of Russia collapses in the snow after competing in the 10-kilometer biathlon sprint.
Switzerland's Nadja Jnglin-Kamer crashes near the finish line February 8 during a training run for the women's downhill.
Jnglin-Kamer is seen near the finish line after her crash.
Jeremy Abbott of the United States falls as he performs in the team figure skating event.
Tarjei Boe, a biathlete from Norway, falls to the ground after competing in the 10-kilometer sprint.
Norway's Hedvig Wessel takes a tumble during qualifying for the women's moguls event on February 8.
Norway's Marit Bjoergen, Sweden's Charlotte Kalla, Norway's Therese Johaug, Norway's Heidi Weng and Finland's Aino-Kaisa Saarinen fall to the ground after the women's skiathlon on February 8.
Dutch speedskater Jorrit Bergsma is seen after the men's 5,000-meter race on February 8.
Hedvig Wessel of Norway crashes out in the women's moguls on February 8.
Snowboarder Lucien Koch of Switzerland falls during the men's slopestyle semifinals on February 9.
Germany's Nathalie Weinzierl takes a fall during the team figure skating event.
South Korean ski jumper Choi Heung-Chul falls while competing in the men's normal hill event February 8.
Falling down in Sochi
HIDE CAPTION
Photos: Falling down in Sochi
"The video and photos that you are now seeing are part of the making of the preparation, it wasn't supposed to go public," Chamoun said.
The skier added: "Anyways, I want to apologize to all of you. I know that Lebanon is a conservative country and this is not the image that reflects our culture. I fully understand if you want to criticize this.
"Now that I'm at the Olympic Games, these photos that I never before saw are being shared. It is sad."
Chamoun then appealed for people "to stop spreading this."
"It will really help my focus on what is really important now: my training and race," she said.
Lebanon minister orders investigation
While the Lebanese Olympic Committee will not send her home from Sochi, caretaker Youth and Sports Minister Faisal Karami ordered the committee "to carry out the necessary investigation in a way that does not affect Lebanon's reputation."
"My main concern was not to affect Lebanon's participation in the Sochi Olympics," Karami told CNN.
"The Lebanese Olympic Committee held a meeting and concluded that this will not affect Lebanon's participation in Sochi, and that the matter according to the International Olympic Committee, is a matter of personal freedoms."
Lebanon is thought to be one of the most socially liberal Arab states.
A paper from the Middle Eastern Values Study at the University of Michigan at the end of last year showed that of the representatives from seven different Arab nations, those from Lebanon had the strongest support for no head covering at all -- 52% of men and 45% of women.
'We are not a conservative country'
In Lebanon, many rallied to Chamoun's defense, insisting the athlete was helping rather than hindering people's perceptions of the country.
"I thank her for giving, actually, a more positive image of Lebanon in a period where all we see on TV, on international news are bombings, explosions, kidnappings," explained Lea Baroudi, head of the activist group MARCH Lebanon.
Blogger Gio Raidy echoed that sentiment, saying, "Personally I think this is the perfect image of Lebanon. It's the Lebanon which we're used to -- the liberal Lebanon, the open-minded one, where people are comfortable with their skin"
"We are not a conservative country," added Baroudi. "We are a country where there are conservative people and there are liberal people and that's what's nice about Lebanon. So yes, I'm ashamed of people's reactions and outrage in this situation."
Many took to social media, such as going to the "I Am Not Naked" Facebook page urging Chamoun's supporters to strip in solidarity with her.
In just over 24 hours, the page garnered close to 12,000 likes. Organizers of the campaign even set up a photo shoot in Beirut, where Twitter hashtags like #StripForJackie started trending.
"The point isn't to be topless," said Leticia Haddad, a Lebanese University student. "It isn't to show skin or anything else. It's more to spread the word that it's OK to be ourselves. It's OK to show a bit of skin. It's OK. It doesn't affect our morals."
Claims of hypocrisy
So far, dozens of people, including Haddad, have posed in various states of undress -- a creative and humorous way of protesting what happened to Chamoun.
For organizers, getting undressed was an essential part of the exercises -- although it wasn't necessarily the point.
"We got naked to get your attention," said Mohamad Abdouni, with FIM2P Magazine. "And once we did get your attention, we're telling you that we shouldn't have in the first place. Us getting naked should not grab this much attention -- it's something very silly in light of what's going on around us."
Many of Chamoun's supporters feel politicians in Lebanon should concern themselves with more pressing problems, such as suicide bombings, sectarian tensions, water shortages and the economy.
Such problems, they say, make racy photos seem relatively minor by comparison.
Lebanese author and journalist Joumana Haddad argued the entire saga has been blown out of proportion.
"It is outrageous and irritating because there's so much hypocrisy," said Haddad.
"To hear people say this is ruining the image of Lebanon is rubbish. We are a country without a government; we are dysfunctional."
Added Haddad, "There is violence and human rights and womens' rights violations happening here every day and that doesn't get 10% of the attention this so-called scandal has gotten from people."
For now, many Lebanese just want a distraction they can be proud of, like witnessing the athletic feats of a fellow citizen.
Photographer Jack Seikaly was among those who felt that one of the best things he could to support her was stripping down.
"She's doing her best as a Lebanese athlete representing her country," explained Seikaly. "And I don't know, I think I'm doing my part by showing my support by doing this."
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