SPOILER: Women's All Around

[soogar]

Jill Laq:
Svetlana Boginskaya married William Yee (or Lee) and had a daughter a few years ago. I read it on an IG website.

Re Carly's Risk:
Her risk elements were not unique. Contrast her program with Sveta's and Anna and the two Russians took more risks with their hi low elements (swinging around the beam, I always love that move) and the connecting steps. Carly's risk was her dismount but her acrobatics were pretty much the same backflips and arabians that everyone else does. Terin Humphrey had the best risk elements (of the US team) and a really unique mount. Marta should have let her do all around. I don't really understand the strategy b/c for prelims, the US only had to qualify for the final so any bad score would have been thrown out. I actually think Terin is the better all around gymnast than Carly.

I think she should have put Tasha on the team instead of McCool. How sad is it that she was relegated to just watching the team final? That put more pressure on everyone else.

[Kasey]

Okay, just time for my b**chy opinion here.

No, Carly Patterson is NOT Mary Lou Retton, or Shannon Miller. In terms of the Olympic All-Around, she's better. Because unlike Miller (who DID deserve it), she won it. And unlike Retton, she won it in a fully attended Olympics. Comparing her personality with the others, that's ridiculous. Miller was always quite reserved. Did that make her less of an athlete? I though Patterson was quite gracious to NOT respond to the question of "What were you thinking during Khorkina's floor routine?" Because honestly, her response could have been "Well, the old hag is doing well enough, but I've got her tail kicked, because I've actually got some muscle and power." Or something similar.

I am VERY glad Khorkina didn't win. I don't care if that makes me look like a wench or not. She presents herself with NO class, she never has, and probably never will. "Diva" does not set well with me. And if SHE is some top model in Russia, well, those Russian women need to eat more. She looks like a drug-addicted Uma Thurman. NOT attractive.

Pavlova, on the other hand, is a beautiful girl and a beautiful gymnast. I really hope the future will be bright for her. I too agree that she should have won bronze.

Kasey

[Joesitz]

Why the fuss over these Russian gals? Had Carly not won, I would have given it to that Romanian gal.

BTW, the American judge, whom I know, did not judge this event, but was an alternate. So that subjectivity must be ruled out.

Joe

[BronzeisGolden]

I also think people are forgetting that Carly Patterson is only 16 years old! She got the job done with some great gymnastics...the end. I don't believe it matters very much whether she is a natural during interviews or not. She doesn't have to be....she brings it where it counts....on the beam, floor, vault and uneven bars. I also think saying "well, she was lucky because gymnast X wasn't there or because gymnast Y messed up" isn't fair at all. Carly was there and did more than enough to win. She has her flaws just as any other gymnast, but on that night she dealt with suffocating pressure and proved she was the best "All-Around". She hit everything when it counted most and the others couldn't keep up. I would say she is a tremendous athlete. And no, she isn't Mary Lou, or Shannon Miller...she's Carly Patterson, 16 year old Olympic Champion with her whole life ahead of her. Give her a break!

[JonnyCoop]

"Diva" does not set well with me.

Kasey

THANK YOU!!! It doesn't with me, either. Bad obnoxious behavior is bad obnoxious behavior and it does not matter who's doing the behaving!! :D

[hrmsk8ngnutt]

Terin Humphrey had the best risk elements (of the US team) and a really unique mount. Marta should have let her do all around. I don't really understand the strategy b/c for prelims, the US only had to qualify for the final so any bad score would have been thrown out. I actually think Terin is the better all around gymnast than Carly.
I think she should have put Tasha on the team instead of McCool. How sad is it that she was relegated to just watching the team final? That put more pressure on everyone else.

Remember that Carly is the reigning World Silver Medalist in the all-around and Co-National Champion with Courtney Kupets. So of course Carly would be one of the gymnasts to put in contention for the all-around.

I wish Tasha had made the team. However, Courtney McCool made the team because she finished second at the Olympic Trials behind Courtney Kupets and just ahead of Carly. First and second place automatically made the Olympic team. McCool also won an international in the same building earlier this year. Unfortunately, prelims was not her night.

Herm (sk8ngnutt)

[Piel]

THANK YOU!!! It doesn't with me, either. Bad obnoxious behavior is bad obnoxious behavior and it does not matter who's doing the behaving!! :D

But it makes things much more interesting.

[Kasey]

But it makes things much more interesting.

Ok, I'll concede part of that! I think the 'bad attitude' can make for some interest....on my part, it usually makes me interested in watching them fail! But that 'woman' has taken it a bit too far. Three olympics of snottiness is....three olympics of snottiness!

Kasey
Not a diva
Just a wench!

[show 42]

I am certainly not a gymnastics expert here, but for me, the dividing line between Carly and Khorkina (and the others really) were her landings on the bars, beam, and floor............she stuck them, rock solid. It doesn't matter much what you do in the air if you can't land it on the ground. And for Miss Khorkina, I don't know about anyone else, but I can't stand to watch her perform..........I'm sorry, she's a stick. It hurts me to see her tumble, I'm afraid she'll snap off a body part. She looks very unhealthy and could be a "poster person" for eating disorders. I know she's tall, but she must have less than one per cent body fat........42

[IDLERACER]

[CENTER]

What Carly needs now is an agent to line up appearances and endorsements for her. I wonder if Mary Lou Retton's old agent is available these days -- Shep Goldberg.

It's difficult to say exactly how marketable she is, or if she even wants her face plastered all over something other than the traditional Wheaties box. Let's not forget that after all the hoopla had died down, nobody really knew what to do with Kerry Strug, although I thought she would've been a shoe-in for lengthy career doing cartoon voices...something I still think could possibly be in Jenny Kirk's future. Perhaps she'll be shoving microphones in people's faces at the 2006 Winter games, like Sarah Hughes (America's other 16 year old gold medal sweetheart) is doing right now.[/CENTER]

[BronzeisGolden]

I either see Carly staying in gymnastics or pursuing something "normal"...like school and an eventual career in a chosen field. She just doesn't strike me as the type that would try to capitalize off of her Olympic Gold in any other way. She seems very normal...besides the fact that she is an Olympic caliber athlete that now is a Gold medalist...lol. I could be completely wrong...she'll probably become the next gymnastics "diva" by the time 2008 rolls around!

[RealtorGal]

In a recent blurb in the "Parade" magazine, Carly stated that she is considering a career in orthodontia. She said that everyone deserves the chance to have straight, white teeth. (No, I'm not making this up!) :D

[Kateri]

In a recent blurb in the "Parade" magazine, Carly stated that she is considering a career in orthodontia. She said that everyone deserves the chance to have straight, white teeth. (No, I'm not making this up!) :D

She met Beth Tweddle then!

*slaps self for being unable to resist snarky comments*

k.

[R.D.]

Q and A with Carly Patterson:

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcont...yqa.bb8fd.html

(you must register to read)

[purplecat]

Carly already has an agent...Yuki Saegusa of IMG. Same agent as Kristi Yamaguchi! Apparently she acquired her as an agent last year. Carly is already listed as a special guest for Brian Boitano's Skating Spectacular! I'm not sure what she'll do though, but Brian does like to have different guests in his show!