8-13-08 Olympics Thread

**JJ4ISU** · 08-13-2008, 08:47 AM

Originally Posted by jbhtexas

How about weight...lots of direction changes and momentum changes in those routines. There are definite competitive advantages to a light-weight compact body.

You guys are right that there must be an advantage to having younger, smaller performers, or the Chinese wouldn't do it. There is just something shady about the Chinese and these Olympics, overall. From fake fireworks to lip syncing...what's next?

**Palmer** · 08-13-2008, 08:47 AM

I cannot wait for Lolo to run......enough of the tiny people.

**cycloneworld** · 08-13-2008, 08:48 AM

We did get beat...no shame in the silver though.

However to all the people saying "who cares", my guess is those are the same people who are blasting players/athletes for taking steriods & HGH. In the end, both situations are against the rules.

**cmoneyr** · 08-13-2008, 08:51 AM

Originally Posted by JJ4ISU

You guys are right that there must be an advantage to having younger, smaller performers, or the Chinese wouldn't do it. There is just something shady about the Chinese and these Olympics, overall. From fake fireworks to lip syncing...what's next?

That brings up a good point. It's painfully obvious that goals number 1-10 for the Chinese are to make themselves look good. The question is how far does that extend? Now, clearly their is atleast 1, probably more of those girls that's not of age to compete, but what else have they done that we don't know about?

**dustinal** · 08-13-2008, 08:51 AM

Originally Posted by jbhtexas

How about weight...lots of direction changes and momentum changes in those routines. There are definite competitive advantages to a light-weight compact body. Who do you think has an easier time balancing on a beam, someone who weighs about as much as a mouse and is barely 12" wide and flat as aboard, or a fully developed 16-20 year old woman?

That's what I meant--they're smaller and lighter. But again, Chinese people are smaller than Americans in general. And they were supposedly plucked from the cream of the crop. With 1.3 billion people in the country, I think it's conceivable that they could find 6 small 16-year-old girls.

I'm not saying that I know they're 16 (I chose "Can't tell" in the poll). In fact, that's exactly my point: nobody except those girls really knows for sure one way or the other.

**Cybone** · 08-13-2008, 08:51 AM

The Chinese team is 16...they spliced Mary Lou Retton's DNA with the DNA from the Lollipop Kids to create....SUPER Gymnasts!!!!!

Incredibly life like and fit easily into suitcases

**mj4cy** · 08-13-2008, 08:51 AM

Originally Posted by Cyclonesrule91

It still blows my mind after hearing last night that the Chinese Gov't plucks chosen kids out of homes at 3 yrs of age and then they get to see their families maybe once a year while they train to be olympians. That is sad.

And did anyone else want to grab the camera man who wouldn't give the US gymnast that messed up a moment to pull herself together and choke the SOB???? I felt sorry for her anyway and then this the guy just sits there going paparazzi(sp) on her. I know she brings on the crap doing what she's doing, but there should be some sort of compassion, or at least a place that she can duck out to get her bearings back. Maybe it's just the Father in me, but man I felt sorry for her last night.

I'm not going to judge the Chinese method of training their gymnasts since I don't know how the girls really feel. I know one girl cried to her parents wanting out and they made her stay in knowing how much money she could make them. To me, it seems like the US gymnast girls are enjoying their passion. With it being their choice to spend their lives doing gymnastics, I can really see the pride they have for their country.

**guitarchitect7** · 08-13-2008, 09:09 AM

I'm not expert, but my understanding of the advantage of having younger gymnasts is how fearless they are. Besides just the actual physical advantages, there is the mental mentality as well. Remember back to when you were all very young, maybe some still are, but you took the world head on without a care of the consequences. Essentially the same applies in gymnastics. There's a no fear in what they do which then actually limits the pressure they put on themselves for doing. Alicia Sacramone was a good example of this. As a 20 year old, she has played mom all the way up to last night, but due to her position, trying to over impress maybe because of here "experience" the pressure got to her and she absolutely choked. Would we have won even if the she nailed everything, nope, but the faults didn't help either.

Again a more experience gymnasts could explain it better, but the world of gymnastics isn't the same as football. .

**The_Architect** · 08-13-2008, 09:11 AM

I felt terrible for Alecia last night - can you imagine how she feels? She single handily kept her team from the gold medal.

**MidwestZest** · 08-13-2008, 09:15 AM

Originally Posted by cybsball20

As far as the three year olds being plucked away. There are families all over this country that do nearly the same thing with tennis, golf, gymnastics, etc. Maybe not to the same extreme, but they send their kids to Florida or Arizona to live and work their sport at VERY young ages.

well, just in regard to chinese training practices, I'll bring up this excerpt from this Yahoo article Phelps becomes most successful Olympian ever - Yahoo! News

In weightlifting, Liu Chunhong broke several world records on her way to bringing China gold in the women's 69kg class. After her victory, she gave a clue as to the rigors of China's Soviet-style training system for sportsmen. "What I want to do most is spend time with my parents, because since the last Olympics until now I've only spent six days with them," she said.

that kinda sucks. that was 4 years ago.

**guitarchitect7** · 08-13-2008, 09:17 AM

Originally Posted by The_Architect

I felt terrible for Alecia last night - can you imagine how she feels? She single handily kept her team from the gold medal.

Actually she didn't, just based off difficulty alone, the Chinese had already won the gold prior to even taking the floor. After taking the final overall scores, and adding in the deductions the Alicia got last night, the US would have still gotten second. If I remember right, the Chinese had about a 2.0 advantage heading into the competition for overall score, although we got close, the final events showcased the talent of the Chinese team regardless of their age and they ended up winning as they were predicted to.

**The_Architect** · 08-13-2008, 09:19 AM

Originally Posted by guitarchitect7

Actually she didn't, just based off difficulty alone, the Chinese had already won the gold prior to even taking the floor. After taking the final overall scores, and adding in the deductions the Alicia got last night, the US would have still gotten second. If I remember right, the Chinese had about a 2.0 advantage heading into the competition for overall score, although we got close, the final events showcased the talent of the Chinese team regardless of their age and they ended up winning as they were predicted to.

Ahh, that's good to hear - that should make her feel better.

**cmoneyr** · 08-13-2008, 09:36 AM

Originally Posted by The_Architect

Ahh, that's good to hear - that should make her feel better.

I doubt it.

**cycloneman003** · 08-13-2008, 09:37 AM

even though they claim that the judging is fair, it obviously is not. our girls go out there already at a disadvantage just because they have the letters USA on their uniform. rountines from the chinese were continually scored slightly too high, and the US rountines were slightly lower than what they should have been.

China is trying to showcase its self as a dominant country but really they are beating us in what? ping pong and syncro diving? good for them. we arent lying about ages and who knows how else they are attempting to get an advantage. once we get to the real events like track and field we will show them.

and even though alicia messed up a few times she is still smoking hot