Summer Olympics: Beijing, China

[Krom]

Michael Phelps' "Beat Spitz" goal is surprisingly still alive, thanks to his swimming teammates.

This goal of beating Spitz's 7 medal goal with 8 has been perceived as mostly hype, because the U.S. wasn't given very good chances of winning the 4x100 freestyle relay, where 3 other guys had to excel to keep Phelp's goal alive.

But they did. One of the favored-to-win-this French swimmers mouthed off about smashing the U.S. here, and apparently this pissed off the Americans enough that they just humiliated the French.

Now Phelps has to swim again, in another solo race, in about an hour. But he CAN still beat Spitz's medal record at this point.

[Google]

 

[jacobson00]

Bela Karolyi incensed about underage rules - Olympics - Yahoo! Sports

Bela Karolyi incensed about underage rules
By BARRY WILNER, AP Sports Writer
Aug 10, 6:41 am EDT

Buzz Up Print
BEIJING (AP)—Bela Karolyi seethed as he watched the Chinese women compete Sunday.

Not because of how good they were in qualifications, finishing 1.475 points ahead of the American team that often trains at his Texas ranch. What bothered the most famous man in gymnastics was “China’s arrogance” for using girls he wasn’t even sure were teenagers yet.

“They are using half-people,” Karolyi said. “One of the biggest frustrations is, what arrogance. These people think we are stupid.

“We are in the business of gymnastics and we know what a kid of 14 or 15 or 16 looks like. You don’t have to be a gymnastics coach to know what they look like at 16.”

Karolyi, working the games for NBC, believes the international federation’s rules that gymnasts must turn at least 16 during the Olympic year are flawed. Karolyi’s complaints are nothing new. But when they come moments after the Chinese have competed at the Olympics, well, they come across more loudly than ever.

“What kind of slap in the face is this?” he asked. “They are 12, 14 years old, max. And they line them up for the world … and having the government back them.

“Since they forced an age limit, it has gotten worse and worse. The FIG is running away from the age problem. They set an age limit and now they can’t control it.”

International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) officials have accepted the passports of the Chinese women, which indicate all are old enough to compete. Karolyi is originally from Romania, and he says falsifying documents is a common practice in countries such as Romania, Russia and other former Soviet bloc nations.

The solution, he said, is to not have any age limit. He believes if a gymnast is good enough to earn a spot at the Olympics or world championships, that athlete deserves to go. He said some juniors today are just as proficient as the age-eligble competitors. Nastia Liukin, for example, would certainly have made the squad for the Athens Games four years ago had she not been 14.

Karolyi’s wife, Martha, the national coordinator for the U.S. women’s team, agrees that if there are any questions about age, just eliminate the restrictions being broken.

“If it’s true,” she said of any nation using underage gymnasts, “the only situation is to lift up the age limit. It would be an even playing field for everyone.”

Bela Karolyi praised the Chinese for their skills on the various apparatus, and for their competitiveness. His issue is not with the athletes, of course, but with those who would use them as pawns in the chase for medals.

Very young pawns.

“They do good gymnastics and are a good service for the sport,” he said of the Chinese. “They have the ultimate effective training program. That’s why I am more upset that they are cheating. They don’t need cheating. They would be just as good a lineup of eligible athletes.”

[Lois Lane]

That relay was an awesome race tonight! The final swimmer (Lisack) was the team's hero. I really thought they weren't going to be able to pull through...

[ClosetRTWatcher]

Originally Posted by Lois Lane

That relay was an awesome race tonight! The final swimmer (Lisack) was the team's hero. I really thought they weren't going to be able to pull through...

I completely agree. That was an amazing race to watch. Absolutely incredible that Lisack was able to catch the French swimmer in the final strech!!!

[Bunny555]

Originally Posted by jacobson00

Bela Karolyi incensed about underage rules - Olympics - Yahoo! Sports

I agree that those little girls looked no older than 11 or 12.

[CrossingGuard]

Oh my goodness, that relay race was so awesome! I love watching swimming, it's my favorite sport in the summer olympics (which is very ironic because I personally hate to swim ). Lezak was awesome, and he definitely deserves the most credit for that win. I loved Phelps' and Weber-Gale's reaction after Lezak touch the end before the French did.

Too bad about Hoff. She missed out on the gold by that much. But hey, silver isn't bad, and I believe she still has many more events coming up.

I felt bad for Hansen. The commentators were saying that this could be his last olympic race and he really wanted to win a medal. But he lost to his Japanese rival and didn't even get a medal.

[Ellen]

Originally Posted by Bunny555

I agree that those little girls looked no older than 11 or 12.

My thoughts exactly while watching the Chinese -- no way are most of them anywhere near 16. MAYBE 12 or 13 max. But 16? Whom do they think they're kidding? (Well, the officials, apparently . . .)

[CCL]

Originally Posted by Kocky_Kamikaze

Am I the only one who can't really see syncronized swimming and diving as a sport? To me it's more like a show!

No, I was thinking that, too. I don't really see the point of synchronized diving though it is pretty to watch. I've never liked synchronized swimming.

And am I the only one who finds music in gymnastics quite distracting especially since the gymnasts aren't on beat most of the time and they're not choreographing their movements to the music?

Are you sure the music is for the routine they are doing on tv? There are other routines going on at the same time - maybe the music is for the floor routine instead of the beam or whatever they are showing at the time?

I have to say, I'm really impressed with the buildings that China built for the Olympics. I love the Water Cube and the Bird's Nest and also the cycling building that looks like a bicycle wheel.

[Ellen]

Am I the only one who can't really see syncronized swimming and diving as a sport?

Nope -- and I used to do synch swimming!

[fluff]

Originally Posted by CrossingGuard

Too bad about Hoff. She missed out on the gold by that much. But hey, silver isn't bad, and I believe she still has many more events coming up.

That was the race of the night for me.
We Brits don't get too many chances to cheer on our own and we woke our children up screaming for the two Brits in that race.
I feel bad for Hoff getting pipped at the post like that, but it was an exciting finish, she just couldn't hold on to that lead.


As for synchro swimming, meh, I appreciate the skill involved but it's not something that interests me.
I also see no need for beach volleyball to be included.
There's already indoor volleyball, what next, frisbee?
In the spirit of equality the male beach volleyball players should really be decked out in Speedos.