Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
It is curious to me the importance that some commentators have placed on gold medals over everything else. Yes, gold medals are important (as they should be), but it was silly to me to argue that--had the US not surpassed China for gold, for example, but was two short yet had 25 more medals than China in total--the US would not have been seen by many as the more successful country in the Olympics.
Quote:
Originally Posted by saibot
Something about her made me uncomfortable. Made me remember when gymnasts were competing in the Olympics and World Championships who were supposedly 14 (then the age limit) but may very well have been younger. They looked a lot like this Chinese diver. Tiny, thin, prepubescent, and generally unsmiling. The pressure on these very young girls was tremendous. Basically their entire lives were spent at a training facility. I was glad when certain countries were charged with competing underaged athletes, and the age limit was changed to 16. I wish they would do that for diving as well.
Speaking of China and medals, I just saw this article on Chinese trolls bashing their own countrymen for daring to take pride in Silver (or anything less than Gold):
Quote:
A Taiwanese badminton player was slammed for dedicating his gold medal to “my country, Taiwan.” A Japanese gymnast who beat a Chinese favorite was accused of winning on unfair grounds. A Chinese sports shooter was bullied into deleting a selfie after failing to qualify for her final.
Something about her made me uncomfortable. Made me remember when gymnasts were competing in the Olympics and World Championships who were supposedly 14 (then the age limit) but may very well have been younger. They looked a lot like this Chinese diver. Tiny, thin, prepubescent, and generally unsmiling. The pressure on these very young girls was tremendous. Basically their entire lives were spent at a training facility. I was glad when certain countries were charged with competing underaged athletes, and the age limit was changed to 16. I wish they would do that for diving as well.
The age limit was changed to 16 after Atlanta '96, but it didn't stop the age falsification. Keep in mind the only reason the US women wound up with the 2000 Team Bronze was because China falsified at least one gymnast's age. We finished 4th in that competition.
One of our gymnasts on the 2000 team, Tasha Schweikert, would have been too young to compete had she not been born 2 months prematurely. She wasn't even named an alternate when the team was initially selected, but was added later on, and was leapfrogged over the alternate who HAD been named at Trials, when team member Morgan White had to drop out before prelims due to a broken foot.
And you will NEVER convince me that China's He Kexin, who won the gold on uneven bars in Beijing due to a stupid tie breaker required by the IOC (the FIG allows ties in gymnastics) was 16 in 2008. American Nastia Liukin should be the 2008 Olympic bars champion. I have my doubts about the 2020 beam champion, Guan Chenchen, as well.
China's like Russia in a way. Russia can't stop doping and thinking they somehow "own" certain events (check out their endless whining about Ashram's win in individual rhythmic gymnastics, for example, and their heads probably exploded further when they lost the group gold to Bulgaria as well), and China can't stop lying about ages.
China's like Russia in a way. Russia can't stop doping and thinking they somehow "own" certain events (check out their endless whining about Ashram's win in individual rhythmic gymnastics, for example, and their heads probably exploded further when they lost the group gold to Bulgaria as well), and China can't stop lying about ages.
The Chinese may "own" diving and table tennis, but it's funny, they seem to have completely missed the memo that women's gymnastics is now a power event. They're still training the tiny pixie type who do well on beam and sometimes on bars, but their tumbling and vaulting is subpar because it just doesn't have the power behind it.
Something about her made me uncomfortable. Made me remember when gymnasts were competing in the Olympics and World Championships who were supposedly 14 (then the age limit) but may very well have been younger. They looked a lot like this Chinese diver. Tiny, thin, prepubescent, and generally unsmiling. The pressure on these very young girls was tremendous. Basically their entire lives were spent at a training facility. I was glad when certain countries were charged with competing underaged athletes, and the age limit was changed to 16. I wish they would do that for diving as well.
That's China's strategy. They picked the less popular disciplines to maximise the chances of winning gold and started training when the kids were like 5 or something, and the athletes are literally one sob story after another. This diver misunderstood the reporters a lot (in Mandarin) because she's barely been to school so her vocabulary is limited. She told them she wanted to use the money she won to pay her mother's medical bills and she didn't know what her mother's illness was called because she didn't know the word.
The whole situation is just extremely dehumanising.
The Chinese may "own" diving and table tennis, but it's funny, they seem to have completely missed the memo that women's gymnastics is now a power event. They're still training the tiny pixie type who do well on beam and sometimes on bars, but their tumbling and vaulting is subpar because it just doesn't have the power behind it.
Don't forget, one of the most difficult vaults in the COP is named after a Chinese gymnast, Cheng Fei. She was favored to win gold on floor and vault in Beijing '08. Too bad she faltered in both and only got vault bronze.
Don't forget, one of the most difficult vaults in the COP is named after a Chinese gymnast, Cheng Fei. She was favored to win gold on floor and vault in Beijing '08. Too bad she faltered in both and only got vault bronze.
Of course, there is always going to be an exception to any generalization, but the generality is that the Chinese women are not particularly strong tumblers/vaulters.
That's China's strategy. They picked the less popular disciplines to maximise the chances of winning gold and started training when the kids were like 5 or something, and the athletes are literally one sob story after another. This diver misunderstood the reporters a lot (in Mandarin) because she's barely been to school so her vocabulary is limited. She told them she wanted to use the money she won to pay her mother's medical bills and she didn't know what her mother's illness was called because she didn't know the word.
The whole situation is just extremely dehumanising.
That diver lived in rural Guangdong where people are known to speak very poor Mandarin. You know that too.
She has 5 siblings (what happened to the two children policy?) and most likely her parents do not have time to teach her much. And her parents are both farmers.
Young athletes in the national team have regular classes every morning and train in the afternoon.
Of course, there is always going to be an exception to any generalization, but the generality is that the Chinese women are not particularly strong tumblers/vaulters.
Don't you think gymnastics was more interesting to watch when Russia dominated?
Personally I do not like either stocky or slender girls doing gymnastics.
It is curious to me the importance that some commentators have placed on gold medals over everything else. Yes, gold medals are important (as they should be), but it was silly to me to argue that--had the US not surpassed China for gold, for example, but was two short yet had 25 more medals than China in total--the US would not have been seen by many as the more successful country in the Olympics.
Well, ALL countries in the world officially rank medal counts by gold, so does IOC. USA is the only country in the world who does not do that.
It has pros and cons. People can always check both gold and total.
Don't you think gymnastics was more interesting to watch when Russia dominated?
Actually, I do miss the days when Russia/Unified Team and Romania were generally vying for the top spots. I understand why the breakdown of the political system and other factors resulted in something of a decline for the Russian gymnasts and a complete collapse for the Romanians, but back in the day they both turned out really excellent gymnasts.
I'm still not used to seeing so many Western Europeans taking top spots. Italy taking fourth in the women's team competition, and France and Belgium both in the top 8, surprised me.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
