So... who wants to talk about gymnastics?

[kscwgirl]

and the scoring? I think it's crap. :blink:

[Becca Bonneville]

ITA It is total crap!!!

[melmos75]

Same feelings here. The Chinese seemed to have gotten the edge in every event.

[Darcy Baldwin]

I don't have a problem with the way they break ties. If the ICOA wants to not have ties in gymnastics, fine. Then they picked a great way to break the tie. It is not subjective at all.

HOWEVER, the scoring is TOTALLY subjective, and therein lies the problem :(

[iJenny]

Yeah, its crap. But its not a secret that the gymnastics scoring system is flawed and has been for quite some time.
First, they got rid of the perfect 10 which is silliness. Other athletes (divers, for example) can be *perfect*. But not gymnasts? Its nonsense.
Then, they create a scoring system that no one understands and has way too much room for "stupid human" error.
And lastly, they create this rididiculously unfair and unbalanced "tie breaker" system.
Its sad and unfortunate. And gymnastics is losing audiences because of it.

[lhaslem]

me too Darcy! If there's gotta be rule about tie breaking then that's fine. The overall scoring though is crazy. It doesn't seem to me like those two should have been tied in the first place.

[iJenny]

I don't have a problem with the way they break ties. If the ICOA wants to not have ties in gymnastics, fine. Then they picked a great way to break the tie. It is not subjective at all.

HOWEVER, the scoring is TOTALLY subjective, and therein lies the problem :(

Exactly, Darcy!! The tie-breaker system would be fine (and fair!) if they scoring system wasn't so flawed. But the only reason Nastia took second was because that Australlian judge totally screwed her with her score! Its not the tie-breaker thats unfair, but it gives unfair results because of the scoring sytem.

[kscwgirl]

Regardless of the tie breaker.. I fail to understand how Alicia did not medal in the vault when the bronze medalist fell to her KNEES on the landing. Makes NO sense at all.

And yeah.. I think the scoring in the uneven bars last night was crap. I'm worried about beam tonight. I know the results are on Yahoo and I'm trying very very hard not to go read them. LOL

[Darcy Baldwin]

I don't have a problem with the way they break ties. If the ICOA wants to not have ties in gymnastics, fine. Then they picked a great way to break the tie. It is not subjective at all. And everyone knew the rules going into it, so the tie-breaking system should not have been a surprise.

HOWEVER, the scoring is TOTALLY subjective, and therein lies the problem :( The other thing that's weird is that gymnastics seems to be the only sport in the Olympics that doesn't allow ties (correct me if I'm wrong). I know at least 2 medals were given out for ties in these Olympics. So while, by scoring alone, Nastia did lose, the subjectiveness of scoring makes it really hard to swallow.

And on another note...our hometown is SO proud :) This is two Summer Olympics in a row where the All Around champ has been from our home town...and both from the same gym. I have a feeling they're going to get even MORE popular now LOLOL.

[iJenny]

Have you guys ever seen the movie "Stick It"? Its a terrible movie (cinema-wise) but it illustrates the flawed gymnastics system PERFECTLY. Nastia Luikin even makes a cameo in the movie. :)

[wildblueeyez]

I definately agree about the judges and all that's been said. How can you expect countries who don't have gymnasts that perform at high levels to judge accurately in the Olympics? That would be like me (a nurse) diagnosing a rare disease that only a doctor would be familiar with.

I felt bad for Nastia - the disappointment was all over her face. and looking at the Chinese team, I still think they are younger than they should be. and "papers" used to verify their ages can be fixed. Just my opinion. they looked so much younger than Nastia and the other competitors.

[ColleenSwerb]

I didn't get to watch the bars routines last night (tried to sleep off a migraine) but I saw the vault competition and holy mackeralfish.

I just don't get it. They definitely failed to fix the problem this time around.

[mrsmbm]

Have you guys ever seen the movie "Stick It"? Its a terrible movie (cinema-wise) but it illustrates the flawed gymnastics system PERFECTLY. Nastia Luikin even makes a cameo in the movie. :)

We saw that happen with the vault, and my DH said, "SEE! That's the kind of crap that makes me say that it's not a sport if you have to have a judges opinion to determine the winner!"

I was just happy to see him upset about gymnastics. LOL! But seriously, the vault was ridiculous, that you can step over the line and fall to your knees and medal.

With track, if two people cross the line at the same time for 2nd place, then they both get medals. Why can't two gymnasts with the same score, down to the thousandths of a second no less, each get the same medal?

Stupid and unfair.

[newfiemountiewife]

Figure skating was like this, but the system was completely rehauled. Now, it is much better, it took a lot of the subjectivity out of it, which I think gymnastics needs to do also. I don't think our system is perfect, but at least now, if you land, say, a double flip, if it's cheated (ie, not quite full rotation) you don't get full marks, and that's the way it should be.

[mrsmbm]

I and looking at the Chinese team, I still think they are younger than they should be. and "papers" used to verify their ages can be fixed. Just my opinion. they looked so much younger than Nastia and the other competitors.

ITA! The gold medalist was a foot SHORTER than Nastia. No way is she 16!

[iJenny]

ITA! The gold medalist was a foot SHORTER than Nastia. No way is she 16!

Well, we all know how corrupt the chinese government has been in the past. And while nothing has been proven 100%, its becoming common knowledge that a few of the girls are, in fact, under 16. There were a few articles in chinese papers/magazines a while ago talking about the new "up-and-coming" chinese gymnasts and quoting their ages at 12, 13, etc. That would make those girls under 16 for the 2008 Olympics. Of course, once those articles were unearthed, the government came back and said that the ages were a misprint, blah-blah-blah. Its sad, but I think the government is desperate to win as many medals as they can while the olympics are in their country.

[kscwgirl]

There is no way that He girl is 16. Don't believe it at all.

I have high hopes for the beam competition tonight. I'm scared to watch it though.

Also, I want to say that I'm just not randomly spouting off here. I've been immersed in gymnastics since my youngest cousin was a baby. She started in classes when she was 2, is teaching now at 22, and tried out for a spot on the Olympic squad when she was younger. When they chose the team, she was scored right below the last alternate. I've been to more meets and championships than I can count.. and the scoring system now sucks.

[Paula]

I think it's crap too. Nuff said from me because I don't wanna get on a rant. LOL

[lhaslem]

i'm just waiting for Bella K. to launch his own investigation, find out they were underage, and demand to have their medals stripped. He was so upset (as he should be)...It's just really a shame for all the girls who worked so hard for the scoring to be such a wish-wash!

[iJenny]

i'm just waiting for Bella K. to launch his own investigation, find out they were underage, and demand to have their medals stripped. He was so upset (as he should be)...It's just really a shame for all the girls who worked so hard for the scoring to be such a wish-wash!


Haha!! Bella K cracks me up! That man is enthusiastic to the max!!

[ColleenSwerb]

I was so sad on sunday night when Bela was practically in tears over the vault competition. I can only imagine what he was like last night! LOL!

[kscwgirl]

I was so sad on sunday night when Bela was practically in tears over the vault competition. I can only imagine what he was like last night! LOL!

He was NOT a happy man. I love Bela. Love him.

[lizzyfizzy]

OH!!!!!!!!!!!! do not, i repeat do NOT get me started on how we are being completely ripped off!!!!!!!!!!!!! i am livid! sick to my stomach that our girls are being jipped!!! ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[lizzyfizzy]

so you can fall out of bounds, almost both times, fall on your knees and still get a higher score that others who didn't!?!?!?! i mean....can we talk about how the chinese government is paying people off. i'm over it!

[kscwgirl]

so you can fall out of bounds, almost both times, fall on your knees and still get a higher score that others who didn't!?!?!?! i mean....can we talk about how the chinese government is paying people off. i'm over it!

Word, girlfriend, word. I so do not understand.

[lizzyfizzy]

i'm sorry. i'm not (per say) a conspiracy theorist, but this is all crap. maddie was almost in tears for those girls on sunday!! it's complete and udder nonsense!!!!!

[~Julie~]

I agree that the scoring is total crap. Hopefully they change it for the next summer olympics

[lizzyfizzy]

ya, in the meantime we are left with little gold. :(

[junebug]

i love watching gymnastics. I had a chance to join as a kid, but i was afraid, lol. plus now, being 5'10" or so i think i'm too tall, lol. anyway, i haven't watched the gymnastics yet, but i think i will so i too can join in on this unfair-scoring-the chinese-suck-buttant bandwagon. lmao.

[**Holly**]

so you can fall out of bounds, almost both times, fall on your knees and still get a higher score that others who didn't!?!?!?! i mean....can we talk about how the chinese government is paying people off. i'm over it!
Um I totally agree....HOW does she get a medel when are girl hit hers almost perfect??? It's just not right!!! I almost cried too for poor Alicia...she has had such a rough time at this Olympics!

[Jennifer]

I totally agree that it's all crap. I have a feeling it will all come out (too late) that the girls are underage and that the judges (if you can call them that) had a vested interest. Such as shame for our girls. Looking forward to beam tonight, but am afriad the same thing will happen. :(

[BrattyMeg]

The thing Tim Dagget was saying last night, on the scoring of bars, the judges can't be from any country represeted by an athlente..Ypu had Romania, china, Russia, USA, Great Britain , and Ukraine that were NOT allowed to be judges, so they were left with countries that have never had a bars powerhouse, or newer judges that aren't as familiar with the codes and points. There is NO WAY He shoulda been awarded gold..even if you go on deductions, She had too many VISIBLE errors and that's just what we see, untrained in the scoring of the sport.

I'm telling you, there is a reason that Kexin He, had no international experience prior to China. I stand on my theory that her passport is fake (that's what the IOC uses to verify age of the gymnasts) and mind you, she didn't need a real one to travel in China..only outside of it :)

[BrattyMeg]

and..I read spoilers for tonite, in real time this am...should be interesting

[kscwgirl]

I read them too, despite my best efforts not to.

I love this blog..

http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/beijing/blog/fourth_place_medal/post/The-REAL-Olympic-medal-count?urn=oly,101537

[MikkelPaige]

Ugh - I could go on for a while about this.

I really feel for Nastia on the bars....and REALLY feel for Alicia on the vault. That vault outcome was CRAP! Poor girl. You could tell she was holding back tears for the team competition and same thing for the vault. It's sad that it is her only olympics (I cannot imagine she'll be back in 4 years) and it's one shot - then you're done.

My heart goes out to them.

I do think that the Chinese gymnasts are incredible, however I do believe there are a few underage girls on the team and I wouldn't be surprised if there was some funny business going on with the government paying off judges. I don't know....it's just a little crazy that the one Chinese gymnast who FELL on her vault landing got a higher score than Alicia no matter how much higher the difficulty level was.

[Nettio]

It would be one thing if the scoring just seemed wacky in general but the fact that EVERY "weird" scoring issue has been in favor of the Chinese just makes the whole thing suspicious. I've been saying the whole time that it would not surprise me one bit if they'd made some kind of deal with the judges. I mean, it's pretty obvious they falsified paperwork in order to use underage gymnasts, why would they stop there? :thumbdown:

[lizzyfizzy]

preach it!!!!!!!! i'm currently beyond annoyed. not good.

[Voodoo_Bryn]

Nastia got pwned, it was complete crap.
I think it's because she doesn't kiss up like that little girl scout do-gooder, Shawn Johnson. (Do you see how she marches out there?? Nastia's like, "Whatev, nerd")

[BrattyMeg]

well not really sure it's even a huge rivalry between Shawn and Nastia..when it comes to certain apparatus, Shawn has higher difficulty..just not on bars...Nastia owns bars lol

They have two totally different styles..it's almost unfair to compare them. Shawn is a little firecracker, powerful, energetic..Nastia is way more elegant and graceful..she's a very artistic gymnast vs a powerful one like Shawn.

[Voodoo_Bryn]

I like Nastia's attitude... she looks so... "ugh, stop being so goody-goody". Which is... hmm... a LOT like me. Most people think I'm a total witch when they meet me. Shawn is just too Polly Pureheart for my taste.

BUT, that's just my opinion. I'm all about attitude, less about the skill. =D

[kscwgirl]

FINALLY.

[meems]

wow, i don't watch Olympics for a few days and totally must have missed something . . .

[Darcy Baldwin]

YES! Great finish for the girls!

[BrattyMeg]

woot was awesome!!!

[**Holly**]

Woot!