All Around & Event Finals:
http://sports.yahoo.com/oly/gymnastics/results?day=15
It seems unfair that Bhardwaj placed 8th and McCool 13th in terms of score placement, but they cannot compete in the All Around because of the ridiculous "only 2 competitors from each country" rule. There are ladies with MUCH lower scores who will get to compete. To me, that's just not a fair competition, when you eliminate some of the best competitors just because someone else on the same team did a bit better.
Last edited by RealtorGal; 08-17-2004 at 02:50 AM.
Yes, the US ladies did appear more muscular than the Romanians and the Chinese. The latter are naturally smaller. The Romanians in particular appeared more fluid. The Chinese did too, when they were performing well. The US ladies appeared to be more 'thinking' through the routines than just doing them. The dance element was definitely missing and I was disappointed with the choice of music for most of their floor exercise routines. Overall, they did a pretty good job though.Originally Posted by Piel
Is it just me or do the U.S. ladies appear to be more muscular than the Chinese and Romanians? To me the Chinese and Romanians looked lighter and seemed to move with more freedom than the Americans. The American women looked like they were concentrating so hard on what they were doing their movement appears more deliberate while the Chinese and Romanians just seemed to move through their routines with .....I'm not sure what word I.m looking for here more abandon?For example in the floor exercise the Chinese and Romanians looked more like dancers tumbling, while the Americans looked like tumblers trying to dance. Did anyone else notice this?
I think that makes sense if we think of the Olympics as a competition of nations, not of individuals. In ice skating, too, I think that is the difference between the spirit of the Olympic games and that of the World championships.All Around & Event Finals:
http://sports.yahoo.com/oly/gymnastics/results?day=15
It seems unfair that Bhardwaj placed 8th and McCool 13th in terms of score placement, but they cannot compete in the All Around because of the ridiculous "only 2 competitors from each country" rule. There are ladies with MUCH lower scores who will get to compete. To me, that's just not a fair competition, when you eliminate some of the best competitors just because someone else on the same team did a bit better.
Mathman
Well, that's why we have the team event. It's also a competition of individuals--supposedly to find the best in the world. How can that be done when some of the best in the world are left out because of a technicality?
Did they trim the number of gymnasts? I remember in 1996, the top THREE from each nation get to compete.Well, that's why we have the team event. It's also a competition of individuals--supposedly to find the best in the world. How can that be done when some of the best in the world are left out because of a technicality?
Now it's no more than two per country.
Hi All,
After watching the gymnastics over the past couple of days, it is apparent how nervous the gymnasts were in the team comps due to the new "3 up, 3 count" rule. No more throwing out the highest/lowest scores and all that anymore, so no buffer and that means the pressure is definitely on during a performance. Even Khorkina got a case of the shakes when she was on the bars during Team comp - I have seen her fall on release moves at the O's before, but I've never ever seen her wobble doing her pirouette elements and she is by far the most experience gymnast out there, so if this new rule is putting extra pressure on her, no wonder some of the younger girls had faces like death masks when it was their turn to perform.
I'm really glad there are finally some people in the stands watching these wonderful performers....
The problem for Khorkina is she is so skeletally thin that I think her energy and stamina is limited. She looks really bad, a stick figure as compared to the slim, sinuous Khorkina of 1996 and 2000. She always had an interesting hairdo but she didn't even bother with that this year--just a plain ponytail. She is still a good-looking woman, but she just doesn't look healthy.
Actually, I thought Khorkina looked better than she did 4 years ago, now that she's dropped that close-cropped android haircut. On a similar note -- what is up with Terin Humphrey's eye makeup?? IMO she's the most exciting of the US women (based on what I've seen so far), but that heroin-chic raccoon eyeliner has gotta go. It's one of those looks that doesn't look good on anyone.
Overall, I have to say that I was rather disappointed with the overall quality of the routines last night. They were well executed, but I didn't see anything that I found particularly interesting or anything that made me go "Oh, wow" (except for Oana Ban on the floor exercise; what PHENOMENAL tumbling; I expected her to hit the roof!). Hopefully we'll be seeing more interesting things in the all around and invidual apparatus.
I saw Oana Ban last year and knew who to root for come the olympics...but I think she was not at her best here compare to the worlds. Still she is a great gymnast and tiny too.
Now...Catalina....where was she during worlds. Wow...I love her floor music.
Terin Humphrey's eye make-up makes her look like Uncle Fester. I've never been a fan of excessively painted faces on anyone, but in what universe could somebody possibly imagine that drawing a pair of black rings around one's eyes is an attractive thing?
Maybe it's her homage to the Olympics :D .
If that were the case, she would've painted a red one around one eye, a green one around the other, and a black ring around her nose.
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