Olympic Viewing

[SueK]

Thought I'd start a new thread where we could post our comments about Olympic events we've watched so far.

Last night we watched Phelps win his first gold, although we already knew he was going to get it because of hearing it on the news. ;)

Also enjoyed the men's gymnastics. The commentators kept emphasizing how unnerving it was for the men's team to learn that their high bar routines would not garner the points which they thought they would. I never did get the gist of why it was ruled that their various moves would not be worth as many points. Nevertheless, it seemed to rattle them. I really felt for Blaine Wilson, and also Guard Young, who got put on the rings event at the last minute due to Blaine's dizziness. I thought the Hamm brothers were awesome, though!

I'm really looking forward to watching the start of the women's gymnastics tonight.

[newcook]

I've been watching all day, but so far, still no medals for Canada.

Daniele

[fudi2000]

I got to watch most of the opening ceremonies which I thought was really cool until the whole glow in the dark belly thing (wierd)
I only got to watch the diving and Phelps win his first medal. Normally we don't care who wins at anything, but just seeing that dude swim, he's like a freakin' fish out there. Very cool
THeresa

[gabbyh]

I've been cheating by going to the Fox News sports web-site in Australia that my husband views...they're in Sydney...and ahead of us time-wise...we've been having fun here at home with a bit of Aussie/American rivalry...all in good fun:D

But I am a bit partial to Thorpie:D

~Gail

[jlo_of_hotlanta]

I'm hookedon the Olympics this year!

So far I've watched:

men's gymnastics (they make the hig bar look so easy!)
women's 4x100 ( our local celebrity, Amanda Weir, won silver!)
beach volleyball (only two people on one court - amazing!)
men's swimming (mmmm, they do have nice muscles, don't they??:D )
women's gymnastics


I think I've been most impressed by the gymnastics - at one point, my friend turned to me and said, "whoa ... that's not physically possible." me, " what, the dismount, what did it look like?" him, " A LOT of spinning." :D :D

And really ... the chinese gymnasts CANNOT be 16 and 17 like their bios say! They look eight! Ay yi yi.


Ashley

[Beth H]

But I am a bit partial to Thorpie

He's really cute - I don't remember that from last time. Maybe it's because he's actually over 21 now! :)

I've been watching a ton, too - I love the Olympics. I'm trying so hard not to see the results during the day (especially of swimming) so that I can be surprised when watching.

[SueK]

I'm really looking forward to seeing Thorpe and Phelps swim against each other tonight.

Loved the women's gymnastics last night and am anxious to see how the men fare in the finals tonight.

[schuh]

Originally posted by gabbyh


But I am a bit partial to Thorpie:D


I'm a bit partial to just about every male participant there! The South African freestyle relay team was definitely a bunch of hotties. Really, have you ever seen such beautiful people all in one place? No wonder they hand out zillions of condoms there.

We try to watch the stuff you can't see very much otherwise. We've watched swimming, men's & women's gymnastics, beach volleyball, table tennis (!), probably some others, as well as the opening ceremonies (I agree, the glowing belly was very strange). I'm amazed by it all, but probably the most by the gymnastics. The strength of the men, the flipping power of the women -- all are totally amazing.

[gertdog]

I'm loving the swimming competition, and last night I stayed up way too late to watch men's water polo. They beat Croatia at the buzzer. One of the players, Dan Klatt (#9) is the son of my former swim coach- I babysat for him when he was young. It's amazing to look at him onscreen- he's 6'5" now, but 17 years ago I gave him piggy back rides!

[HUNGRY!]

I love the Olympics! I was away all weekend so so far I've only gotten to watch one women's swimming relay and the water polo match. I was up so late watching it I overslept and was late for work! I can't wait to see some of the women's gymnastics!

[slknight]

Originally posted by schuh


I'm a bit partial to just about every male participant there! The South African freestyle relay team was definitely a bunch of hotties. Really, have you ever seen such beautiful people all in one place?


:) :) I was thinking the same thing.:D

I'm so happy that I've got TIVO. I can fast forward through all the ads and the stuff I don't want to see. I also don't have to stay up all night because I can just watch really early in the morning when DS gets up. I just have to stay off the internet so I don't accidentally find out what happens.

I'm kind of mad at NBC though. Unless I missed it, they didn't show the woman's 100 butterfly. I saw the medal ceremony, but I don't think they showed the race (probably because the US didn't medal).

[SusanMac]

You mean the Phelps Games??? Really, i love him and want him to break the record, but you'd think there were no other events in teh Olympics. I am happy, though, that there is more sports coverage this year so far, and less of the personal story montage stuff.

Bob Costas is doing an awesome job. I remember hearing on the BB that he didn't do so well at the opening ceremonies. I don't think he's a humor guy...very straight forward.

Swimming is especially fun to watch since I'm actively swimming now. I pay much closer attention to how everyone is swimming. Haven't caught any of the Iraq soccer matches yet, but I hear they're doing well!

[KLynn]

Originally posted by SueK
The commentators kept emphasizing how unnerving it was for the men's team to learn that their high bar routines would not garner the points which they thought they would. I never did get the gist of why it was ruled that their various moves would not be worth as many points. Nevertheless, it seemed to rattle them.

Sue, I am with you on this. They never really explained it and I began to think it was because they didn't really know themselves. It seems like that judge just made a strange, unfair call - and nobody knows why. I thought it was just wrong. There should be a little more quality control - it's the Olympics!!

The women did great last night, though I never heard what there final ranking was. Were they ahead of the Chinese when it was all over?

[gabbyh]

I couldn't stand it...I came in the door from work and jumped on my laptop to check the Aussie news station to see who won the 200...but I'm not tellin:D

~Gail

[SueK]

Gail - I saw the results in bold print on the AOL homepage......so much for the element of surprise, huh?? :p :)

[gertdog]

Actually, I'm kind of peeved about that- CNN had the results on its homepage. Couldn't they at least have had a headline that didn't give it away? Phooey.

[slknight]

That's the great thing about Boston.com (my homepage). They have a specific policy that they are not putting results on the main page so no one gets accidentally spoiled. It's about the only safe place to go. Of course you know that NBC won't show the 200 free until about 11:55 pm so they get more ratings.:rolleyes:

[SueK]

They just showed the race - I hadn't seen Ian Thorpe w/out his swim cap on until they did the little blurb about him a few minutes ago. Whew! He's quite the hottie. ;)

[gabbyh]

Isn't he tho:D I've made such a fuss over him I think my Aussie is a bit jealous:D

~Gail

[jlo_of_hotlanta]

Yes, yes, yes ... woohoo, watching Thorpe and Phelps in those swimsuits was a mighty fine sight ... those abs! those backs! ahhh! soooooooo cute!!!

Ashley

[tamawrite]

Did anybody watch the womens synchronized diving last night? Wasn't the Chinese pair lovely? All the athletes were just amazing...and so young!

[Valerie226]

Gotta agree with jlo, the chinese gymnasts DO look like 8 or 9 years old. the romanians look young too.
Love , love love the Olympics. the only peeve I have is women's outfits in general. maybe it's 'style' but it seems like from swimmers to gymnasts, many of the women need to keep tugging their suits down in the back. They are all gorgeous & in incredible shape but why couldn't they have an inch or two more fabric so they aren't bothered by dreaded butt creep? I would think it a huge distraction, fussing to make sure you aren't showing the world more of your butt than you want to.

[RebeccaT]

DH and I were spellbound by the Men's Gymnastics Team finals last night. It really came down to the wire, to hundredths of a point between gold, silver and bronze. Oh, how I wanted to see our men win, but the Japanese were absolutely unbelievable on the high bar. Those Hamm twins are incredible, and it was so touching to see Blaine nail his very last Olympic gynastics event on the parallel bars. Wow.

Also loving the eye-candy by the pool during men's swimming! :D

[Laurielee]

I saw the sycnchronized diving last night, never knew it was an olympic sport, I liked the chinese the the russian girls.

My problem is I go to bed at 9:00, they start at 8:00 and all of the good venues come on after that. Is there some kind of rule that no cable channel cant televise until prime time?

I think it is so sad for most of the venues to be empty, that has to make it it hard ont he atheletes. I know they get that extra burst from hearing the audience cheer.

Laurie

[Beth H]

I've made such a fuss over him I think my Aussie is a bit jealous

I think we could have our own Ian Thorpe admirers thread! :) I wish he wouldn't wear that full bodysuit when he swims. :)

I'm still loving watching the Olympics despite the small crowds at some venues - it's such a wonderful world event to me.

[AdGirl]

Ooooh, count me among those drooling over him! I think my hubby may be getting a bit jealous -- everytime they show him on TV, I can't help but mutter "wow, he's so hot!" I get a sideways glance from DH everytime! :p

[bekki]

I've made it a point to watch a little of almost anything they're showing on tv, just so that it gets ratings. My sport (Water polo) doesn't get enough coverage, and I'm sure people who are into other weird ones like table tennis feel the same way:) So I watch on principal. I have to say, dressage is the hardest thing to watch, because I have no clue what is supposed to be going on! I really liked the kayaking--the venus itself is really neat:)

Two of my close friends are on the coaching staff for the women's water polo, plus I know a few of the players, so I was up at 6 am to watch the game. They beat Hungary 7-6!

[kima]

Thought you ladies might enjoy this1


http://ianthorpe.aol7.com.au/news.php

Scan down to the launch of his new line of underwear!



Though the best sport bodies are in track and field!;) :o

[slknight]

Originally posted by kima
Thought you ladies might enjoy this1


http://ianthorpe.aol7.com.au/news.php

Scan down to the launch of his new line of underwear!



Hubba hubba! :D :D :p :p :D

[gabbyh]

Now my Aussie hubby is going to get a pair:D

~Gail

[gabbyh]

If my husband finds out I posted this...I'll be in such trouble ;-}
(Hope I don't get kicked off the board for this...but I couldn't resist!)


http://hk.geocities.com/ianthorpe2002hk/ian_it1.jpg

[schuh]

Originally posted by gabbyh
(Hope I don't get kicked off the board for this...



No complaint here:D

Although the guy is probably young enough to be my son ... something I'm noticing more and more these days...:(

[Beth H]

Although the guy is probably young enough to be my son

He's 21, almost 22. That's legal, right? :)

Thanks for posting that pic! That race last night was awesome.

[SueK]

Gail - thanks for posting the picture. That was a better pick-me-up than my morning coffee! :)

The race last night was great, wasn't it? I liked the women's gymnastics, too. I know they were bemoaning the fact that they "only" won silver, but they should be very proud of themselves. Their exhibition tour stops here in town next month and I think I'll have to get tickets to take DD to see them in person.

[Jessica]

Ian Thorpe. Yum.

[schuh]

Originally posted by Beth H


He's 21, almost 22. That's legal, right? :)


Legal, yes. Distasteful for someone of that age to even contemplate, also yes. Aging stinks (although come to think of it, it's not like I ever dated guys that looked like that in my 20s).

Anyhoo, last night's relay was awesome! What an exciting finish! And I agree the U.S. gymnastics team has nothing to be ashamed of. Those Romanians were near perfection -- although did anyone notice that the scores seemed really low? Nadia's 10s seem impossible with the way they are scoring.

[Beth H]

although come to think of it, it's not like I ever dated guys that looked like that in my 20s

Who has dated anyone that looks like that? If someone has - I'd be very impressed. :)

It's pretty sad that I keep looking at this thread even when there are no new posts. This would be quite the "bulletin board buzz" for the magazine - a bunch of women admiring a pin-up photo of Ian Thorpe! :)

[Terri_A]

Those Romanians were near perfection -- although did anyone notice that the scores seemed really low? Nadia's 10s seem impossible with the way they are scoring.

A couple of years ago the scoring guidelines were changed to make higher scores more difficult. There were entirely too many 9.9s and the like - they had to make room for future improvements in the sport.

Also...The commentators kept emphasizing how unnerving it was for the men's team to learn that their high bar routines would not garner the points which they thought they would. I never did get the gist of why it was ruled that their various moves would not be worth as many points. Nevertheless, it seemed to rattle them

Here's the story on what happened to the men's high bar routines. This is a quote from the US Gymnastics website -

"The "new" move "Stalder-hop-full" has been viewed by judging panels for the past three World Championships as a "new" move, and graded a D value. Here at the Olympics, the panel decided after podium training to grade it a C value because "the hop does not add difficulty." The international federation, in communicating the decision to the nations affected, stated that it was a mistake by past judging panels to grade the move a D, and apologized for not communicating the change of mind to the teams earlier than Thursday. That decision would have downgraded the start values on Brett McClure's, Jason Gatson's and Blaine Wilson's routines, plus numerous other athletes performing the move. It forced Brett, Jason and Blaine to make a decision on Thursday after podium training as to what to do. Brett kept the move in his routine and was given credit for the move! Jason removed that move, connecting two others for bonus points, and added another move at the end of his routine to get back to a 10.0 start value. Blaine took out the move and added a Kovacs release move." -http://www.usa-gymnasticsolympics.com/2004/interactive/index.html

I've been having a blast watching all of the events that I've watched - the emotion as all the athletes compete is really moving. I especially liked seeing the Russian women last night get soooo excited over a bronze - that's the way it should be - unlike their reaction 4 years ago to winning a silver, when Svetlana ripped the medal off her neck immediately after the medal ceremony - so unsportsmanlike. I know our girls looked quite dissappointed immediately after the competition ended, but it was nice to see them all happy on the podium!

http://www.usa-gymnasticsolympics.com/2004/news/index.html

[RebeccaT]

The men's Freestyle Relay was SOOO exciting last night! And it was so fun to see Michael Phelps get so excited about his team's victory... he was more excited about that gold medal than any other medal he's won, I think. They were all so proud of themselves. I was thrilled for them. DH laughed at me yelling "GO GO GO GO" during the last leg of the relay. :)

As for women's gymnastics... ok, Svetlana scares me. I mean, she's got skills and all that, but she kinda freaks me out. I was so impressed by Mohini Bhardwaj and her ability to just come in there and get the job done on the beam, without much preparation. What a great team captain. But poor Carly Patterson... I was so annoyed by one of the interviewers after the medal ceremony... "So, Carly, you were off your game tonight. How does that make you feel, knowing that your team only lost out on gold by a few tenths of a point?" :mad: She did her best! Bless her heart. I am looking forward to the individual events, I hope she shines.

[Jessica]

Originally posted by RebeccaT

As for women's gymnastics... ok, Svetlana scares me. I mean, she's got skills and all that, but she kinda freaks me out.

Glad I am not the only one.

I felt bad for Carly, too. And for Courtney McCool, who did not get to compete at all yesterday.

[Jessica]

Did you hear about this yahoo?

Tutu-clad man gets five months for Olympic pool plunge
Associated Press
August 18, 2004

ATHENS, Greece -- A tutu-clad Canadian who jumped into the Olympic diving pool after a competition was convicted today of interrupting the games and sentenced to five months in jail. He was released pending an appeal.
Ron Bensimhon, 31, of Montreal, jumped off the 3-meter springboard at the diving venue Monday night wearing a blue tutu and white tights with polka dots.
``I didn't think what I did was so serious. I won't do it again,'' he told the judge.
Bensimhon had what looked like an advertisement for an Internet casino written across his chest but denied staging the stunt for money. He told the court he wanted to honor legendary Greek marathon runner Spyros Louis, who won gold in the first modern Olympics in 1896.
The incident prompted organizers to tighten security at Olympic venues with police officers dressed as volunteers.
In March, Bensimhon disrupted the world figure skating championships in Dortmund, Germany, when he skated onto the ice and donned a tutu as defending champion Michelle Kwan was about to perform. Painted on his chest was the name of a Web site.
After that event, Bensimhon was almost immediately released because his infraction was deemed only disorderly conduct and not an offense meriting arrest.

[MKSquared]

Ian Thorpe? Ehhh. He's not bad. Tell you what: you ladies can all fight over him, and I'll head over toward the Greek men's swimming team. Sure, they're not decorated in medals, but I don't mind overlooking that .... <<swoon>>

I get choked up when I see the US Women's sabre gold medalist - the first US gold in a century! That's FANTASTIC. I love watching her entire team throwing her up into the air. :)

[RunnerKim]

Oh my Mary Kate, you're so right. I was out of touch last night and just saw the front page of the Oregonian. The fencer is from a Portland suburb. Reading the story gave me chills. Wow! I'm hoping to catch it on the news tonight (hoping since it's local interest it'll get play tonight).

Kim

[MKSquared]

OK, watching another medal ceremony where the US won gold - and I'm going nuts. Usually, I cry at these things. This time around, I can't muster up any tears - the recording of the US anthem is SO SO SO SO cheesey! It sounds like an overblown Christmas carol. Blecccch!

[MusicMom]

I'm still trying to catch my breath after seeing that photo of Ian Thorpe. :)

The US National Anthem is really annoying me too. The "rockets' red glare" part gets so high and soft, you can hardly hear it. The song is unsingable.

I really enjoyed seeing Paul Hamm win the gold medal last night. Afterwards he told the interviewer that he was happy after his high bar routine because he thought it would give him enough points for a bronze medal- he wasn't expecting the gold.

Vivian

[angelamaria]

is anybody really disappointed in nbc's coverage?
i watch the evening news to find out if we won stuff, then i tune in at 8 and by 10 i am falling asleep and i haven't seen any of the big wins. when i couldn't stay awake any longer paul was just starting his gymnastics stuff. i would think they would put the most thrilling stuff between 8 and 10 when people are more likely to be awake and kids can watch but all i see is semifinals and the like. then the next morning i catch it after the fact on the today show. i am very disappointed,it's all tape delayed so you think they would organize it better.

[lindrusso]

Originally posted by angelamaria
is anybody really disappointed in nbc's coverage?


I'm sure it's all about the ratings. They know that the majority of folks would turn off their TVs after the gymnastics event, so they save the best (or at least the most popular) for last. I was disappointed that the boys couldn't witness last night's amazing roller coaster of a competition, but I can also understand why they do it that way. It is too bad, though.

Last night was a great night for watching! Nothing like going from an excellent chance at gold, to thinking you're getting NOTHING, to pulling a gold in the end! Whew!

My two complaints about the coverage are inconsistencies with posting scores - sometimes they are quite late posting them and a few never did get posted. Also, it's all so rushed because they are trying to fit so much in. There's Paul not winning, there's Paul winning, boom medal ceremony. A little too fast, IMO.

However, I think that covering an even this big is an extremely difficult challenge. You can't do everything and you will never please everyone.

Alysha :)

[RebeccaT]

OMG!! Watching Paul was so AMAZING last night! I thought for sure he'd blown it, I mean, he was in 12th place after his third rotation! But then he just took charge and delivered absolultely amazing performances. I love his story, about he and his twin swinging from rafters as kids!

I was talking to DH about this last night - I don't remember ever getting so excited about an Olympic Games. But then I realized why... 4 years ago I was in the middle of a VERY intense training program for my new job, I was working about 15-16 hours a day, and I didn't watch any events. 8 years ago I was in Ireland after graduating from college - DH (then DBF) and I rented a little television to watch coverage, but the events were on in the middle of the night. 12 years ago I was getting ready for freshman orientation... and before that I was just a kid (although I do remember Mary Lou Retton... like every 10 year old girl in America!) I feel like I'm seeing it all for the first time, because I kind of am! :D

[lhall]

:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :o :o

I'm so upset! I've been staying up to watch, but midnight is way to late for me to go to bed and I've been feeling run down. So, the past two nights I've taped coverage. Or, so I thought last night! NOT! I'm so mad at myself. I'd programmed the VCR for Tuesday night, but just hit the record button at 8pm last night. BUT, I'd forgotten that since I was transfering 8MM tapes to VCR tapes I'd set the default record time to 2 hours. I only taped the 2 hours of coverage I'd watched last night. I only got to see Paul perform two events!! I'm so bummed. I did see part of his highbar routine on TV this AM, and I'm thrilled that he won gold. They showed snipts of last night on the news this morning. GRRRR! Yes, I've changed the default record time (now).

Leigh

[lindrusso]

Hey, I think I missed something.

So on the East Coast the coverage was on from 8-12??? Wow. I was wondering why it started at 7 here, but I guess the NBC station around here opted to start one hour early for that reason - we are one hour behind the east coast anyway (no DST here), so they have that option available - they usually choose not to do it during regular programming and run their primetime programs 8-11 all year round.

Now I see why you're upset! Staying up until 11 sounds MUCH easier than staying up until 12! :)

Well, like I said, so much to cover during an Olympics. I guess there's no easy way to get it done.

[RebeccaT]

Alysha, so even though you are in the CST, you still have prime-time coverage from 8-11? Interesting! Prime time here is 7-10, which was weird at first when I moved here from Atlanta, but now I love it! I love that I can actually watch the news and a little bit of Letterman before going to bed, where before it was just too late for me!

Yeah, watching the Olympics from 7-11 is much, much easier than staying up until midnight would be!

[KLynn]

Well I am in Atlanta, which means staying up till midnight to see all the good stuff! It is wearing me out, but I just can't tear myself away. Thankfully today was DH's morning to get up with the baby, so I got to sleep in a little :p

Paul Hamm was just unbelievable. I had seen the results on the internet (I was trying to avoid them, but caught them on a website I wasn't expecting to have results), but it turned out that I was glad. It was fun to watch, knowing he was going to win.

Looking forward to the ladies tonight!

[kima]

We are so fortunate up here- CBC gives wall to wall live coverage of most events plus CBC French is amazing and covers almost every race! We also have TSN and NBC! Great coverage all day long!


(which explains why I am not on the BB much these days!:o )

[SandyM]

CBC is definitely the way to go with the Olympics. If I want to see the "human interest stories", I'll watch NBC. But more often than not, I'm watching the events on CBC. ;) :D

[Kristine]

Just out of curiousity...do all of you Olympic Viewers remained "unspoiled"? (ie. you don't check the results on ESPN.com or some other website before hand). I'm the [weird ;)] type of person that likes to know the results before I watch, so I periodically check them throughout the day.

[MusicMom]

I only look if I can't stay up any longer.

Although when I checked the results for Paul Hamm last night, I was compelled to keep watching. :)

[lindrusso]

Originally posted by RebeccaT
Alysha, so even though you are in the CST, you still have prime-time coverage from 8-11? Interesting!

Well, it's all very complicated. We're actually in EST, but we don't do EDT, so for 1/2 the year we're in sync with the rest of the Eastern Time Zone, the other half we're not. Which you probably already knew, but just in case...

So, the broadcast networks in the area (NBC, etc.) used to follow the eastern time zone by airing primetime 8-11 October-April and then it would be 7-10 the rest of the year as the rest of the time zone went to EDT.

THEN the stations decided a year or two ago that it would be less confusing if they stayed with primetime 8-11 all year (so they'd actually be delaying the broadcast to keep the times the same all year round). IMHO, this actually made things MORE confusing because the cable stations still follow the EDT - so April-Oct our broadcast stations are 8-11 primetime and the cable stations are 7-10. :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Now, aren't you sorry you asked????? :D :D

Alysha :)

[badunnin]

Ok, somebody fill me in with what happened to Yang Wei on the horizontal bars last night? I was watching last night as I worked (gymnastics isn't my thing) and about the last thing I saw was his parallel bars, after Paul Hamm and fallen on his butt.

[MKSquared]

Do you mean the high bar? Or the parallel bars?

[badunnin]

Originally posted by MKSquared
Do you mean the high bar? Or the parallel bars?

It's listed as horizontal bar on the NBC Olympic site, so I guess the high bar? As I said, I saw parallel bars.

[Jessica]

I stayed away from headlines for the first four days so I could enjoy the surprises during the tape-delayed coverage. Sadly, I had to return to my regular life and that does not allow for hours of Olympics-viewing each night:( . I am reading headlines now and I know who won the women's all-around...but I won't give it away here.

I think the tape-delayed coverage has been good given the limitations: lots of ads, lots of sports, etc. I wouldn't mind seeing a few more non-American athletes.

[RebeccaT]

Alysha, that sounds so confusing! I think I did know that Indiana doesn't do Daylight Savings Time (I think that Arizona is the same) but I had forgotten. I hadn't even thought about how that would affect television viewing!

[HUNGRY!]

I woke up at 4:00 this morning to watch the replay of gymnastics and I am so glad I did. What an exciting competition! There were some great races in the pool too (although stupid yahoo.com ruined those for me with their blatant headlines). Grrrr.

Does anyone know when the individual events in gymnastics start?

[RebeccaT]

I think Sunday and Monday...

[aggie94]

Originally posted by badunnin
Ok, somebody fill me in with what happened to Yang Wei on the horizontal bars last night? I was watching last night as I worked (gymnastics isn't my thing) and about the last thing I saw was his parallel bars, after Paul Hamm and fallen on his butt.

I assume you've been filled in by now, but in case you haven't, one of his hands just missed the bar (it wasn't a release move, where he let go of both hands, but was letting go of one hand to alternate the grip from forward to backward, I think, as he was flipping around the bar) and he was hanging on by just one arm, and he lost his momentum and had to drop. Poor guy; the devastation on his face was heart-breaking, but even more than that was the look on the poor South Korean's face when he learned that Paul Hamm had won the gold. Even though I was thrilled for Hamm, I hate seeing the dejection that others feel. :(

I did not watch the women's all-around last night. Maybe it's just me, but I don't enjoy women's (if you can even call it that) gymnastics nearly as much as men. They're really just kids, and it seems to me that their routines are so much more artistic than the men's and much less athletic.

Originally posted by RebeccaT
Alysha, that sounds so confusing! I think I did know that Indiana doesn't do Daylight Savings Time (I think that Arizona is the same) but I had forgotten. I hadn't even thought about how that would affect television viewing!

Indiana is WAY more confusing than Arizona. At least ALL of Arizona rejects Daylight Savings Time. My understanding is that parts of Indiana do it and parts don't. Talk about confusing!!

[Gail]

Why oh why oh WHY must it always be about us? I don't CARE how many medals the US has. I especially don't care how many we have in comparison to someone else. I am tired of having the camera pan past the non-American winner of the gold medal, fixated on our own bronze or silver medalist. Last night, I was delighted to see when a swimmer from Trinidad and Tobago medaled in swimming. Do you think our cameraman even SHOWED the guy? Nope. Instead we got to watch Our Guy. Again.

Don't get me wrong. We've sent some amazing people to the Olympics who've certainly earned their medals. But the Olympics aren't just about the U.S. It's about great athletes from all over the globe. I sure wouldn't mind actually seeing a few of them for more than a second at a time. :rolleyes:

[TLee4]

Originally posted by aggie94

I did not watch the women's all-around last night. Maybe it's just me, but I don't enjoy women's (if you can even call it that) gymnastics nearly as much as men. They're really just kids, and it seems to me that their routines are so much more artistic than the men's and much less athletic.


Funny..I'm exactly the opposite. I watch the men's, but I'm much more interested in the women's!

Terri

[HealthyinMN]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040821/ap_on_sp_ol/oly_tainted_gold_gym&cid=554&ncid=716

Judging Error Gave Hamm Gold



By EDDIE PELLS, AP Sports Writer

ATHENS, Greece - Paul Hamm (news - web sites)'s gold medal just lost its luster. A scoring mistake at the all-around gymnastics final cost South Korea (news - web sites)'s Yang Tae-young the gold that ended up going to Hamm, the International Gymnastics Federation ruled Saturday. Yang got the bronze instead.

Photo
AP Photo



Three judges were suspended, but the results will not be changed, the federation said. The South Korean Olympic team will ask the Court of Arbitration for Sports to determine if Yang deserves a gold medal.

"We want obvious mistakes to be corrected," said Jae Soon-yoo, an official with the South Korean delegation.

The error Wednesday cost Yang a tenth of a point on his parallel bars score that made the difference between third and first.

South Korea failed to lodge a protest during the event, so the scoring was not changed, said the federation, known as FIG. The South Koreans, however, said they did question the scoring as soon as the routine was over and were told by the judges to file a protest letter after the meet, Jae said.

If the mistake hadn't been made, Hamm would have won the silver and South Korea's Kim Dae-eun would have received the bronze instead of silver.

[AdGirl]

i have mixed feelings about the whole S. Korea thing and how it would have affected the final outcome. the guy whose score their protesting got a 9.712 (i believe) on that excercise. unfortunately, gymnastics is a pretty subjective event and because of some form breaks, etc., i highly doubt they would have really given him a 9.812 anyway. but who knows, i guess...

reminds me of the constant controversies in figure skating. i suppose it comes with the territory when it's a judged event, but sad nonetheless.

[schuh]

Originally posted by AdGirl
unfortunately, gymnastics is a pretty subjective event and because of some form breaks, etc., i highly doubt they would have really given him a 9.812 anyway. but who knows, i guess...


It doesn't have to do with the scores the judges gave. It has to do with the start value. Each routine has a different start value based on the difficulty of the routine. The judges' scores are adjusted according to that value. It sounds like a pretty clear mistake. Very unfortunate for all involved.

[AnnaSue]

Originally posted by Gail

Don't get me wrong. We've sent some amazing people to the Olympics who've certainly earned their medals. But the Olympics aren't just about the U.S. It's about great athletes from all over the globe. I sure wouldn't mind actually seeing a few of them for more than a second at a time. :rolleyes:

I agree! DH and I were just saying the same thing last night. I really wish there was broader coverage of athletes from other countries too. I hope Americans do well and everything, but I really would like to see more variety versus seeing the same person compete over and over.

[RebeccaT]

This Paul Hamm thing is breaking my heart - poor guy. I think it definitely affected his performance last night in the individual events. I understand that this must be hard for the S. Koreans, too. I don't know what is the right thing to do... perhaps Paul should offer his gold medal to the S. Korean athlete. Perhaps the governing committee should award them both the gold. Perhaps it should be nothing at all, and Paul should keep his gold since the judging is so subjective anyway. Any way you slice it, though, Paul's entire Olympic experience has been a little tarnished, and I hate that for him. :(

[HUNGRY!]

It is really sad. And its not like the figure skating thing where there was cheating involved. This is just a case of some human making a mistake. Too bad for everyone involved.

[schuh]

Originally posted by AnnaSue


I agree! DH and I were just saying the same thing last night. I really wish there was broader coverage of athletes from other countries too. I hope Americans do well and everything, but I really would like to see more variety versus seeing the same person compete over and over.

It's funny. I was thinking about these kinds of comments yesterday afternoon when I was watching the Olympic games coverage. First there was extensive coverage of the women's marathon, where you really didn't see an American until the very end. The coverage was very focused on the Japanese and British runners, with only a few mentions of the American runner here and there. Then the four-person skulling where other teams dominated.

I also remember seeing a memorable piece on a Palestinian swimmer on what he's gone through to get to the games.

I think it's the American media's job to (mostly) cover the games from an American point of view. If I had an American relative/friend competing in the Games, and the American media decided to show other countries for some PC/educational reason, I'd be furious.

[Jessica]

Originally posted by HUNGRY!
It is really sad. And its not like the figure skating thing where there was cheating involved. This is just a case of some human making a mistake. Too bad for everyone involved.

Wasn't the figure-skating thing a judging question as well? I don't envy those judges.

[schuh]

Originally posted by Jessica


Wasn't the figure-skating thing a judging question as well? I don't envy those judges.

Figure skating was corruption by the judges. Gymnastics was just a mistake in calculations.

I'm sure it's hard to be a judge, if you're an honest one.

I'm also sure it's hard to compete in a sport that is judged, as it's so subjective. I feel bad for both Paul Hamm and the South Korean gymnast who technically should've won gold.

[Jessica]

Originally posted by schuh


Figure skating was corruption by the judges. Gymnastics was just a mistake in calculations.


Thanks. I'd forgotten the details. It is unfortunate for all the participants.

[schuh]

Originally posted by Jessica


Thanks. I'd forgotten the details.

Yeah, I can remember the ins & outs of judging scandals but I call my kids by the wrong names all the time. Go figure.

[BarbaraL]

Some of the commentators last night mentioned that Svetlana made some remark that she didn't win because she wasn't American. Contrast her with that wonderful Russian male gymnast who did an amazing routine but came in fourth. I admit that I don't know much about gymnastics, but I thought Svetlana wasn't nearly as good as many of the others; I was amazed that she got the silver in the all-around; I thought the girl who got the bronze was better.

I feel bad for Paul Hamm; them saying he didn't really win the gold and then having to perform last night after the crowd stopped the action for 10 minutes in protest of the Russian's score. By the way, even though they may have rated the Korean's start value incorrectly, the replay also showed that he made mistakes that weren't deducted, so he might not have won anyway.

[Gail]

Originally posted by schuh


It's funny. I was thinking about these kinds of comments yesterday afternoon when I was watching the Olympic games coverage. First there was extensive coverage of the women's marathon, where you really didn't see an American until the very end. The coverage was very focused on the Japanese and British runners, with only a few mentions of the American runner here and there. Then the four-person skulling where other teams dominated.

I also remember seeing a memorable piece on a Palestinian swimmer on what he's gone through to get to the games.

I think it's the American media's job to (mostly) cover the games from an American point of view. If I had an American relative/friend competing in the Games, and the American media decided to show other countries for some PC/educational reason, I'd be furious.

I'm glad to hear you observed something which wasn't what I've been seeing over and over again. I posted a similar comment to the one above (mine, I mean) on another board in which I guess I got a bit more detailed. Yes, ABSOLUTELY the media has a responsibility to report the American point of view. And ABSOLUTELY they need to make sure that the folks back home get to see their friends and loved ones.

But. It's an International event. Unless there are no Americans competing in a given event, our reporters virtually never walk over to the medalist with congratulations and a short interview. They do this all the time on Wide World of Sports, for example. Ignoring the winner in favor of OUR athlete looks to me like poor sportsmanship, a bit like Svetlana's behavior after not winning the all-around medal.

I am reminded of past Olympics where we learned to love Eddie the Eagle (a ski jumper who was frequently in last place), or the Jamaican bobsled team. I don't begrudge their moment in the sun to our Americans, but as we share the same planet and the same Olympics, I'd like to see them continuing to share the spotlight as well.

[badunnin]

As far as marathon coverage, that was one of the few major events that I've seen live. The gymastics, swimming, etc that is shown in prime time is all taped, and edited, coverage. I believe this to be part of the reason there was very little focus on the American runners (heck, who wants to watch the woman in 12th?)

[RebeccaT]

Ok, I'm officially a dork. But I went to the Hamm twins' website to post a message of support for Paul. You can find it at www.hammtwins.com and sign their guestbook, should you be so inclined.

Not that everyone needs to agree about what the right course of action is here, but I just think that Paul has been through too much for something that was not his fault. Someone actually had the nerve to post on that site that "we know you gave a lot of money to the judges." :mad: That is so ridiculous!

[tbb113]

In praise of the underdog, here is a website (http://www.mcwetboy.net/dfl/) of last place finishers. They need recognition also :)

[MKSquared]

Originally posted by RebeccaT
Ok, I'm officially a dork. But I went to the Hamm twins' website to post a message of support for Paul. You can find it at www.hammtwins.com and sign their guestbook, should you be so inclined.


I tried to lend my support to Paul (and Morgan, too!) - but I can't seem to sign it. Gotta support my fellow Buckeyes. :D I wonder what will attract more attention in the first week of school - the football team or the Oympians ....

[RebeccaT]

How strange, Mary Kate. I wonder if the site is just over-extended with people trying to post?

[SueK]

Just watched Kerri Walsh and Misty May get the gold medal in beach volleyball. I know a lot of people pooh-poohed the idea of this being an Olympic sport, but I really enjoyed watching the matches.

This morning on the Today Show they had on the U.S. Tai Kwan Do team, which consists of only two people. I'm looking forward to watching this, if they even show it during the day. :( Something tells me it'll be on in the wee hours of the morning!

[RebeccaT]

Sue, DH and I were watching the ads for Olympic coverage on "the channels of NBC" and were overwhelmed by how much we were missing! DH is a former competitive volleyball player and he really wanted to watch the indoor events. It's a much more structured game than beach volleyball is. But it's on Bravo at like 2 in the afternoon... and since I can't set my Tivo to record just the volleyball, we'll miss it. And there are others, like judo and canoeing (which DH insists is not a sport, it's a Boy Scout badge) that we won't get to see either. :(

I fell asleep last night before the end of the decathalon. But what I did see was pretty awesome! Clay is pretty easy on the eyes, I must say...

I felt terrible for that Canadian hurdler who fell last night. She was a favorite to win, too. I keep expecting to hear that the Russian athelete she ran into and knocked out of the race has contested the results.

[aggie94]

Originally posted by RebeccaT
I felt terrible for that Canadian hurdler who fell last night. She was a favorite to win, too. I keep expecting to hear that the Russian athelete she ran into and knocked out of the race has contested the results.

She did. She filed an appeal to have the race rerun, but it was denied.

[gabbyh]

Oh no, I just heard that Ruland got beat ;-{

~Gail

[SueK]

Originally posted by gabbyh
Oh no, I just heard that Ruland got beat ;-{

~Gail

I'm bummed that Gardner lost. I was really pulling for him.

On a side note, Paul Hamm is on Letterman tonight, I believe. I know I won't be awake at that point, but thought maybe some of you on the West Coast might be.

[SueK]

Just bumping this up to see if anyone's watched anything in the past few days. Sara and I watched diving tonight, and also highlights of the women's soccer game as well.

I watched a sports marketing guy on the Today Show this morning, and he was talking about the marketability of certain athletes. I know I've seen commercials with Michael Phelps and others before the games even started. I'm assuming from this that Olympic athletes can certainly be paid endorsers for products. But what about those athletes that are still in college? I thought NCAA rules prohibited this. Isn't Michael Phelps starting school soon? What happens to his endorsement money? I saw his mom interviewed and she said he already owns a Cadillac of some sort, and will get another one after the games, so I'm assuming he's using the endorsement money, but wouldn't this make him a professional and disqualify him from collegiate athletics?

Any input will be appreciated. These athletes are snapped up for marketing purposes so quickly and at such a young age anymore that I'm getting confused. TIA!

[MusicMom]

Originally posted by MKSquared
OK, watching another medal ceremony where the US won gold - and I'm going nuts. Usually, I cry at these things. This time around, I can't muster up any tears - the recording of the US anthem is SO SO SO SO cheesey! It sounds like an overblown Christmas carol. Blecccch!

There was an interesting article in yesterday's Washington Post about the arrangement of the Star Spangled Banner they're using at the Olympics: National Anthem (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A33967-2004Aug25.html) The version was composed about ten years ago. The same man is writing the arrangements for all of the national anthems. He said that he was aiming for some musical contrast in the piece.

I still don't think it works. IMO, a national anthem is all about the lyrics and the music should complement the message. The composer only considered the anthem from the musical aspect. Although it might sound nice, it's unsingable.

His arrangement of the Canadian anthem got a lot of criticism for being too jazzy.

The article does examine questions about appropriate interpretations of national symbols.

[Beth H]

I thought NCAA rules prohibited this. Isn't Michael Phelps starting school soon? What happens to his endorsement money? I saw his mom interviewed and she said he already owns a Cadillac of some sort, and will get another one after the games, so I'm assuming he's using the endorsement money, but wouldn't this make him a professional and disqualify him from collegiate athletics?

Michael Phelps will be attending Michigan as his coach is going to be the head coach (or one of the coaches) there, but he will not swimming for them. As you suspected, he has forfeited his eligibility for collegiate swimming - willingly, I'm sure. It's unusual in this country for a swimmer to get so much attention and endorsement potential before they attend college.

[aggie94]

Am I the only one disgusted with the spectators at this Olympic games? First, the crowd's reaction after Alexei Nemov's routine on the high bar. Sure, what they were doing might have been flattering to Nemov, but what about all the other athletes? Screw 'em, I guess. And then last night, during the men's 200M? I realize that not all the spectators who are involved are Greek, but I presume that the bulk of them are. This Olympics has left a very foul taste in my mouth toward the Greek fans; this was a chance for them to show off their country and their people to the world, IMO, and they've done a pretty poor job of it. :mad:

I was disgusted last night, and pretty d@mn pleased when the Americans swept the 200.

[kima]

I totally agree about the crowd's behaviour at the Stadium last night-very unaaceptable!

I just wish frankie fredricks had got in there for a medal- he is one of my favourite athlete. he is 36 years old and this is his fifth Olympics I believe. A great race for the American guys though.:)

[Grace]

Yeah, Eva, I haven't been too happy with these olympics myself. I'm a HUGE olympics fan, and for some reason, there is something less exciting and wonderful about these games as compared to others. I can't put my finger on it exactly, but it started for me when I read that Athens decided to poison 12,000 stray dogs in the city to get rid of them. And my disppointment doesn't have to do only with the Greeks - I feel all this protesting of medals takes away from the true spirit of the games. And I don't just say that because Paul Hamm is an American. I was majorly bummed when Alexei Nemov got ripped off on his high bar score - I think he got totally ripped off. But at least he didn't protest, and that shows class to me.

And the fact that for many of the events the stands were virtually empty disgusted me too.

[gertdog]

And now the gymnastics regulatory group (FIG?) has asked Paul Hamm to give back the gold medal. Bad taste in my mouth all around.

Grace, I am glad someone else remembers those dogs. I stayed at a B&B earlier this week and at breakfast we were discussing the Olympics, and I mentioned the dogs. No one else at the table knew what I was talking about.

On the other hand, we had an extremely enjoyable discussion about Ian Thorpe's new line of underwear! There was a young man from Australia at the table and he about choked when he heard that Ian is selling underwear. He said "I don't know any man who wants to look in the mirror and be reminded that he doesn't look anything like Ian in a Speedo." It was very funny. :)

[Grace]

Ugh. I hadn't heard about them asking Paul Hamm to give his medal back. Unbelievable. I went to nbcolympics.com and read the story. Here's a link for anyone else who wants to read it:

http://www.nbcolympics.com/gymnastics/5053554/detail.html

[HUNGRY!]

Wow. So he's supposed to give up his gold medal and just be left with nothing? They're treating Hamm like he's the one who made the mistake.

I just had to go and read about the Greek fans too. Unless there's more to the story than what they're saying in the American newspapers, they were mad that their guy wasn't in the race because he failed to show up for mandatory drug testing. Why did they think it would solve anything to boo the racers. They should boo their guy who failed to play by the rules. Wow again.

[SueK]

I hadn't heard that about the dogs! That just makes me sick to my stomach thinking about it. :(

[gertdog]

Originally posted by HUNGRY!

I just had to go and read about the Greek fans too. Unless there's more to the story than what they're saying in the American newspapers, they were mad that their guy wasn't in the race because he failed to show up for mandatory drug testing. Why did they think it would solve anything to boo the racers. They should boo their guy who failed to play by the rules. Wow again.

According to the announcers on NBC last night, there have been editorials in Greek newspapers suggesting an American conspiracy to knock the Greek runner out of competition. I think it's probably tied to the fact that the coach of the two American gold medal winners in the sprints recently admitted that he is the one who sent in the "mystery syringe" that sparked the whole doping controversy in the U.S. What a mess, and what poor sportsmanship on the part of the audience.

[aggie94]

Originally posted by gertdog
According to the announcers on NBC last night, there have been editorials in Greek newspapers suggesting an American conspiracy to knock the Greek runner out of competition. I think it's probably tied to the fact that the coach of the two American gold medal winners in the sprints recently admitted that he is the one who sent in the "mystery syringe" that sparked the whole doping controversy in the U.S. What a mess, and what poor sportsmanship on the part of the audience.

I heard that too. Riiiiiiiight, an American conspiracy. They held a gun to his head and forced him not to show up for his drug test. :rolleyes: Both times. :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

As though there were NO other conceivable reason in the world he wouldn't have voluntarily not shown up for his drug test. Like the fact that he was taking illegal drugs. :rolleyes:

I hadn't heard about Paul Hamm being asked to give his medal back by the FIG - poor taste indeed. I was impressed by how the IOC has handled it, as described by Jacques Rogge in his interview last night with Bob Costas. I hope the IOC isn't really in support of Hamm giving back his medal, like the FIG says they are in their letter.

BTW, I hadn't heard about the dogs in Athens either until Grace mentioned it today, and now I wish I had never learned that piece. :(

[Gail]

I cannot believe this whole mess with Paul Hamm. The night of his amazing medal-winning performance, I remember turning to my husband and saying through my tears (I was that choked up by the entire experience) that ANYONE even attempting to allude that his comeback was anything short of a gold medal performance is a sour grapes issue. Falling as he did, then fighting his way back up to the top with two amazing performances was the most medalworthy thing I think I've ever seen in the Olympics. I am simply aghast that someone is trying to take that away.

Had the Koreans complained immediately as the crowd did with the low scoring on the Russian, I would've been sad but I would've accepted the error. But to come back two days later, after the entire competition has concluded? How do we KNOW the Korean would've earned the gold? Since it was his second-to-last performance in question, maybe his high score might've given some other athlete (if not Hamm) the adrenaline push necessary to have changed the scoring in some other manner. Maybe it would've widened the gap, lulling the Korean into complacency and he might not have scored as highly on the last event. To have protested immediately might've changed the final outcome. Hamm wasn't expecting the gold anyway. Had they caught the error initially, he would've been proud to take home the silver or bronze. But they shouldn't go back and try to alter events after they've occurred.

[aggie94]

Originally posted by Gail
Had the Koreans complained immediately as the crowd did with the low scoring on the Russian, I would've been sad but I would've accepted the error. But to come back two days later, after the entire competition has concluded? How do we KNOW the Korean would've earned the gold? Since it was his second-to-last performance in question, maybe his high score might've given some other athlete (if not Hamm) the adrenaline push necessary to have changed the scoring in some other manner. Maybe it would've widened the gap, lulling the Korean into complacency and he might not have scored as highly on the last event. To have protested immediately might've changed the final outcome. Hamm wasn't expecting the gold anyway. Had they caught the error initially, he would've been proud to take home the silver or bronze. But they shouldn't go back and try to alter events after they've occurred.

My understanding is that the Koreans brought the alleged error to the judges' attention that night on the floor but that they were told they needed to file a formal protest after the competition ended. I don't know if that's true or accurate, and I'm not saying that even if it were true that it would make this whole thing better or right, but that's what I heard.

Poor Paul. I can't imagine that he'll ever be able to enjoy this victory knowing that it was won in the midst of all this controversy and that people all over the world think it was undeserved. :(

[Beth H]

I read that Athens decided to poison 12,000 stray dogs in the city to get rid of them.

Because of strong pressure from groups in Europe, the Greeks in the end merely corralled the dogs somewhere and will be re-releasing them into the city, not poisoning them.

I've actually really enjoyed these games - mostly because I thought the swimming was awesome. I've never been a big gymnastics fan so that controversy hasn't bugged me as much, I guess.

[RebeccaT]

Originally posted by Beth H


Because of strong pressure from groups in Europe, the Greeks in the end merely corralled the dogs somewhere and will be re-releasing them into the city, not poisoning them.



That is good to know.

Ya'll have no idea how many stray dogs there are in Athens... stray cats, too. They're EVERYWHERE! And not like sweet, abandoned, sad pets either. Feral. I can understand them wanting to get them off the streets for the Olympics, but I am relieved to hear that they did it in a humane way.

[Grace]

Originally posted by Beth H


Because of strong pressure from groups in Europe, the Greeks in the end merely corralled the dogs somewhere and will be re-releasing them into the city, not poisoning them.



Can you point me to some further information on this? I hope of course that this is what they've done, however I wonder what's happening to them while they're corralled - and I find it hard to believe they'd just open the gates and let all the dogs run back free again once the Olympics are over. In any case, it's no solution either, IMO. The fact that the Greek people treat animals inhumanely (I mean, no other civilized country has this kind of problem with stray animals) leaves a bad taste in my mouth no matter what they did or didn't do.

[gertdog]

What irks me is that apparently there are rules in place for dealing with this- the rules say if you question the start value, you must do so before the start of the next rotation. I would guess that this is for precisely the reason you state, Gail- it's only fair for the athletes to know where they stand. This was initially the reason given for the denial of the Koreans' appeal- they didn't question the scoring until after the rotation had ended. What they need to fix is the scoring system- I cannot believe that they are placing the burden of their error on Paul Hamm's shoulders!

They have those big digital display boards for the score, and it appears that each athlete waits until the previous person's score appears before starting his routine. How hard would it be to display the score as 9.7 out of a possible 9.8 so that any errors are there for all to see and correct, right away?

I know that doesn't fix problems like whatever happened in Alexei Nemov's case, but sheesh- this whole thing is an embarrassment.

[gertdog]

Grace, here is a link I just found to a USA today story from earlier in the week. Interesting that the Greek law actually prevents strays from being put down! It sounds like it's just an entirely different approach to companion animal care.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/athens/2004-08-26-dog-town_x.htm

[Grace]

Originally posted by gertdog
How hard would it be to display the score as 9.7 out of a possible 9.8 so that any errors are there for all to see and correct, right away?


I believe they actually DO put up the start value on the score boards for all to see, making the complaint that much more ridiculous, IMO.

Thanks for the link - I'm off to go read it now.

[Beth H]

Here's another link with information about the dogs:

http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/26401/story.htm

And:

http://www.courier-journal.com/cjsports/news2004/08/16/C6-post0816-2674.html

[Gail]

Eva,

I heard the same story about the Koreans reporting their dissatisfaction and being told to wait. I would think that such a story would be something they could prove. In my opinion, if this actually happened, and it can be shown that they intended to go through proper channels and were given misinformation by someone supposedly in the know (in other words, they didn't stop an usher and ask), I think that perhaps a concurrent gold medal should be awarded. Paul Hamm EARNED what he was given; that should not be taken away; but if the Koreans attempted to follow proper procedure and were in some manner prevented by doing so, I think that's another matter...

As for the Greeks, I dunno. I LOVE Greece. I love the people; I love the country. I don't believe that booing the US track team was appropriate, but they're a passionate people (as you could see from the crowds singing their national anthem and waving their flags after Fani whats-her-name was given her gold.)

[Grace]

Gail, gertdog explained why the Koreans were denied - they did question the start value, but not until after the rotation was over - too late according to the rules, and at that point were told they had to file a protest after the games were over.

Originally posted by gertdog
What irks me is that apparently there are rules in place for dealing with this- the rules say if you question the start value, you must do so before the start of the next rotation. I would guess that this is for precisely the reason you state, Gail- it's only fair for the athletes to know where they stand. This was initially the reason given for the denial of the Koreans' appeal- they didn't question the scoring until after the rotation had ended.

[Gail]

Sorry if I'm not coming across clearly, Grace. I don't think we're talking about quite the same things. I understand the rules. I understand what the initial issue was-- that the Koreans didn't file their protest in accordance with Olympic rules, ergo they have no case here. What I was answering to in my last post was something Eva mentioned. I had heard that the Koreans were insisting they attempted to file at the appropriate time, but that they were told to wait.

[Grace]

Originally posted by aggie94


My understanding is that the Koreans brought the alleged error to the judges' attention that night on the floor but that they were told they needed to file a formal protest after the competition ended.

I'm with you Gail (I think!). I'm just giving further detail on this issue. They did protest that night on the floor, but after the rotation on the high bar had ended. Had they protested it before the rotation had ended they would not have been told to wait and file later. I don't think they were misinformed by any judges. I think they can prove that they said something to the appropriate person while the games were still in progress, but not before the rotation had ended. But maybe I'm still not understanding your point, in which case, I apologize! :o