1403 replies to this topic

[azazel]

It's 9 p.m. and nothing about gymnastics yet on NBC's primetime show!

[WindSprints]

It's 9 p.m. and nothing about gymnastics yet on NBC's primetime show!

They said its coming up so here we go.

Any bets on what kind of musical montage with Al narrating that we'll be seeing? We also need a pool for how many times they will show and mention Jordyn.

I swore I wasn't going to watch the coverage tonight but its like a wreck that you can't look away.

Edited by WindSprints, Aug 2, 2012 @ 8:13 PM.

[HalfwayThere]

It's up next according to the commercial I just saw! Said commercial also mentioned Michael Phelps twice so I'm not sure how much gymnastics we'll be getting. As their previous overage has indicated, Vika Komova only got silver, so they only have to show her last routine. And, according to the team finals, those competing for bronze don't exist, so that means Aly and Aliya don't matter. So they really only have to show 5 routines... fewer if they neglect an entire apparatus!

I swore I wasn't going to watch the coverage tonight but its like a wreck that you can't look away.

That's my issue - it's so funny how awful it is. I don't want to give those twits ratings, but...

ETA: yes, whoever wrote that speech for Nastia - Vika and Aliya haven't been preparing their entire lives for this event. And it's not like the Americans can take it from them.

Edited by HalfwayThere, Aug 2, 2012 @ 8:16 PM.

[ElectricBoogalo]

Any bets on what kind of musical montage with Al narrating that we'll be seeing?

Bases on what they've shown for the last five days, I think they're legally required to use that horrible Phil Phillips song "Home" every time they show a montage of the American women gymnasts (aka Gabby and Jordyn plus Aly's glamour shots and one second of McKayla's vault).

[sienna gold]

Please answer this question as a once every four year watcher:


Since when do you fall off the apparatus - and still win a medal? In my day, you fall, you're out. Heck, my day it was do a huge stumble, you're out (See Shannon Miller, Svetlana Khorkina, Victoria Kirpenko)

[HalfwayThere]

Since when do you fall off the apparatus - and still win a medal? In my day, you fall, you're out. Heck, my day it was do a huge stumble, you're out (See Shannon Miller, Svetlana Khorkina, Victoria Kirpenko)

Since the new scoring system was implemented in 2006 - on it's first outing at 2006 Worlds Vanessa Ferrari (who is on the Italy team and placed 8th in the AA) fell off beam in the AA and still won gold. The new system combines a D-score (difficulty) with an E-score (execution). If your D-score is high enough, you can make up for some E-mistakes. This is why everyone's been doing the Amanar vault - as long as you can land it standing up, it'll net a higher score than a very-well done Yurchenko double twist (Amanar is a Yurkchenko 2.5 twist).

Vika did an amanar (6.5 D) and received a 9.066 E-score. Aliya did a DTY (5.8 D), and scored substantially higher on execution (9.433), but Vika still came out on top (15.466 v. 15.233)

Edited by HalfwayThere, Aug 2, 2012 @ 8:43 PM.

[legaleagle44]

Which is why the Japanese men's team was able to win the silver medal despite the fact that one of its members fell off the pommel horse at the end of his routine -- he simply claimed that it was his intended dismount, and that it was improperly scored.

[azazel]

I gotta say, I learned more about gymnastics listening to Shannon Miller than I've ever learned from the trio of clowns doing primetime.

Komova has a beautiful bars routine. She's actually just a beautiful gymnast all around.

[kwantasy]

Since when do you fall off the apparatus - and still win a medal? In my day, you fall, you're out. Heck, my day it was do a huge stumble, you're out (See Shannon Miller, Svetlana Khorkina, Victoria Kirpenko)

It also happened, rather infamously, at least once during the 10.00 era: Paul Hamm, 2004 Olympic AA (he fell on vault).

[JohnnySunshine9]

How did I not know Kolesnikova was Komova's mom? No wonder Vika's so great.

I love seeing Komova's bars after Raisman's. It's like a Before & After. Komova's form is exquisite. I'd rather watch Komova or Mustafina over Raisman or Wieber any day.

I really hope the next iteration of the Code of Points rewards artistry and execution more and big skills less. Also they have to do something about a strong vaulter having such an advantage over a gymnast who is superior on the other 3 events having such a large margin of points accumulated. Sounds like the FIG is aware of the problem and trying to do this. I'd rather see a perfectly executed double twisting Yurchenko (or hell, even a single) than see more injury-causing Amanars. Only Maroney can do an Amanar that doesn't make me cry or gasp or expect a patella to pop out.

[sienna gold]

Thanks. That makes sense. So then basically these stupid commentators should stop going "OH MY GOD, THEY ARE OUT OF IT!" Because - no, no they are not, all the time.

[azazel]

I really hope the next iteration of the Code of Points rewards artistry and execution more and big skills less.

I like the artistry and execution, but I also love the power of the big skills. I've probably watched McKayla's vault a hundred times by now.

[Rear Window]

Why can't we have Shannon and Dominique instead of these clowns? I really enjoyed the competition today listening to Shannon and the British guy.

Man, Gabby can fly over the bars. Flove her and so happy she won!

What's up with the USA wearing pink and purple leotards? And the bedazzler needs to go. Way overboard and still trying to figure out the pattern from team competition and today.

[sienna gold]

But I think you can have both. Right now there is no focus on the artistic.

I know Rear Window. A lot of these athletes look like they fell into a vat of glitter and rhinestones.

[GoalKeeper1]

I like the artistry and execution, but I also love the power of the big skills. I've probably watched McKayla's vault a hundred times by now.

That vault is a thing of beauty because it was so well-executed. I really hate that 99 percent of the time, it's either one or the other, either incredibly high difficulty or beautiful execution, but then again, it does make getting two for one that much more special.

[ElectricBoogalo]

I really hope the next iteration of the Code of Points rewards artistry and execution more and big skills less. Also they have to do something about a strong vaulter having such an advantage over a gymnast who is superior on the other 3 events having such a large margin of points accumulated. Sounds like the FIG is aware of the problem and trying to do this. I'd rather see a perfectly executed double twisting Yurchenko (or hell, even a single) than see more injury-causing Amanars. Only Maroney can do an Amanar that doesn't make me cry or gasp or expect a patella to pop out.

I posted this in the non-Olympics thread for gymnastics, so I'm not sure if you saw this already but according to this article, there are already some changes that will partially address these issues:

Nowhere is the current Code of Points more controversial than in its scoring of the Amanar. The Code assigns a 16.5 maximum score to the 2.5-twisting Yurchenko vault. A double-twisting Yurchenko, on the other hand, has a maximum score of 15.8. The extra half-twist means a .7-point head start. That .7 bump may be even more valuable than it was four years ago, because the last revision of the Code of Points generally brought down scores in other disciplines, but not on vault. Gymnasts chucking 2.5-twisting Yurchenkos often score higher than ones doing beautiful double-twisting Yurchenkos.

The 2.5-twisting Yurchenko is by no means the only big and dangerous skill that will be showcased at the Olympics, but it has become a flashpoint in debates over the risk of serious injuries, the scoring system, and artistry. During the next Olympics, you might not see so many Amanars. Already, a draft of the next Code of Points is circulating. The new Code is supposed to put a greater emphasis on artistry and execution, and to reduce the incentive to do the undercooked skills. Among the biggest changes: The start value of a 2.5-twisting Yurchenko will be reduced from 6.5 to 6.3. There is always a new horizon, though. A triple-twisting Yurchenko is not far off. Maroney's Amanar has so much power and height, and she has so much time when she lands, that it looks like she could add another half-twist easily.

A lot of these athletes look like they fell into a vat of glitter and rhinestones.

But at least now they're splitting the difference. The other night, the Americans had the rhinestone covered leotards and the Russians had the glitter hairspray. That's a slight improvement over past Olympics when all the girls were sporting both, plus glitter eyeshadow.

[big chicken]

Don't forget the multi-colored hair grips. I think the Chinese are the most guilty of this fashion crime.

[kwantasy]

No, Al, Mustafina did not literally "shove" her coach away. And, Elfi, 2/3 of the beam != the entire length of it. Now who's not using her eyes to look at it?

Edited by kwantasy, Aug 2, 2012 @ 9:45 PM.

[blackwing]

It really pisses me off that apparently according to NBC there are only 4 girls in the all around. Heading into the last rotation, there's a faceless Chinese girl in 4th place. Who knew?!? Would it have killed them to show us a little of why (at that point in time) she was better than Aly Raiman?

I don't understand why NBC isn't using one of its other channels (Bravo, CNBC, Msnbc) to air more events in more of their entirety during prime time. I'd watch. It works during the day, why not at night?

[azazel]

No, Al, Mustafina did not literally "shove" her coach away.

I cracked up at that. They're really trying to push the Russians as divatastic. That's what I hate, that they feel the need to assign "roles" and "personalities" to all the girls instead of just letting the competition play out as, you know, a sporting event.

[ScarletPrincess]

Why was Deng Linlin wearing sneaker socks for her FX? Did she literally have cold feet??

[JohnnySunshine9]

They have got to stop playing "Firework" by Katy Perry, she makes me sad to be from the US.

Komova's FX was STUNNING. I was so so so sad to see her lose. She looked absolutely devastated. I think Gabby was amazing and deserved her win (which Komova also said in an article I read), but Komova just has such elegant and beautiful gymnastics that to see her dreams crushed like that was disheartening.

[ElectricBoogalo]

Why was Deng Linlin wearing sneaker socks for her FX? Did she literally have cold feet??

I haven't seen any of tonight's coverage yet but she is probably wearing gymnastics shoes. They're not very popular these days, but back in the olden days a lot of gymnasts wore them (Dominique Moceanu is the last one who I can think of who wore them consistently). She might be wearing them on floor to help stick the landings better. There were reports earlier in the week that the floor was extra spring which is what caused many of them to go out of bounds during qualifications. Or maybe she has wrapped her ankles with elastic bandages or athletic tape?

They have got to stop playing "Firework" by Katy Perry, she makes me sad to be from the US.

Ha, no kidding. Every time I've heard a new song on the radio in the last few years and thought, "What is this godawful music?" it turns out to be Katy Perry. But I think it was far more embarrassing during the 2010 Winter Olympics when they kept blasting "Party in the USA" by Miley Cyrus during snowboarding. I was certain that they were trying to psych out the Americans by embarrassing them with that horrid song.

Edited by ElectricBoogalo, Aug 2, 2012 @ 10:34 PM.

[big chicken]

I think if Komova had been able to train the Amanar more and try it out in competition before the Olympics she would have done better on the vault. That floor exercise is stunning.

[emma675]

What is it about Mustafina that always makes it look like she's about to burst into tears? I can't decide if it's just the way her eyes are shaped or if it's the 90 metric tons of eyeshadow she always sports.

Komova's floor routine was just stunningly beautiful. I felt bad for her but, sheesh, those Russian girls must be dehydrated since they seem to burst into tears at the drop of a hat. I feel like they've cried their way through the Games so far (not that some of it hasn't been justified).

[The Mee]

Komova is a wonderful gymnast but I could not warm up to her. I actively dislike Mustafina, something about her is just very irritating and bitchy.

[SunshineDay]

I'm sure Komova was crushed to lose the gold, but enough with the waterworks. At least she got a medal, and a silver one at that. Aly lost the bronze on a tiebreaker, to someone who actually fell off the beam, and managed to keep her composure and not immediately dissolve into tears. Or at least I don't think she did, hard to tell with every camera focused on Gabby and Weepy.

Anyway, congrats to all of them! Gabby sure put to rest any of that riduculous 'can't handle nerves' chatter. And Mustafina must be made of win, to come back from falling off the beam to nail her other routines. Also go Aly!!

[WindSprints]

Komova's floor routine was just stunningly beautiful.

I agree. Overall I love watching her on every thing. Routines like hers is why I hope the code of points changes to reward some of the artistry.

[SiobhanJW]

Komova is a wonderful gymnast but I could not warm up to her. I actively dislike Mustafina, something about her is just very irritating and bitchy.

Agreed. As my friend so nicely said "She has the scariest eyes.... I swear she eats babies for breakfast".

Congrats to Gabby!! Sad for Aly sucks that she didn't get the bronze because of the tie rule. Hopefully both girls can get some more medals!!

[HalfwayThere]

At least she got a medal, and a silver one at that. Aly lost the bronze on a tiebreaker, to someone who actually fell off the beam, and managed to keep her composure and not immediately dissolve into tears.

I think she was pretty in shock when they were showing her. I can't understand why they just don't give two bronzes - the tie-breakers they come up with (Bejing's was different, if I recall correctly, but just as random) are so random and don't actually seem to be a good way of figuring out which gymnast was actually better.

Also, no NBC outrage on Aly's behalf yet. I'm not holding my breath... Jordyn's tragedy was all over the media by this point.

Edited by HalfwayThere, Aug 2, 2012 @ 10:44 PM.