London Olympics 2012 - SPOILER ALERT

Parent Cafe
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<p>This thread certainly is active. Plenty of pages in between the question and answer. There are actually a lot of gymnasts whose fx routines are on Raisman’s level. I was mainly expressing disappointment with the fact that we’re seeing them in the event finals. Raisman is barely connected to her music. All of her body movements look forced and uninspired. Choreography has become an afterthought. I know not everybody will be a perfect dancer, but I’d like to see Olympic gymnasts with decent choreography for their dance level. I’m fine with Beth Tweddle’s “posey” choregraphy since I know that’s the best she can do.</p>

<p>In unrelated news, I’m glad NBC has started using the term “Fierce Five”. The Fab Five will forever remain the 2003 world championship team. Well now it’s time to stop obsessing over gymnastics and start watching soccer, taekwondo, and athletics.</p>

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<p>Does anyone know how many more gold medals the US team can get from now to Sunday (high reach, reach, match)?
Can you chance them?</p>

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<p>SaintSaens, but gymnastics intentionally went to this system to reduce the input of judging favoritism. The move was, interestingly, driven by older Soviet gymnasts including people like Ludmilla Tourischeva and Nellie Kim - whom we saw as a judge, I believe, this Olympics. I think it’s kind of funny but nice that people from the USSR were at the forefront of reducing nationalism in judging. But by setting up this system it has the specific effect of rewarding athleticism over gracefulness.</p>

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<p>No, the Fab Five was the University pf Michigan’s 1991 men’s basketball recruiting class: Chris Webber, Jalen Rose, Juwan Howard, Jimmy King, and Ray Jackson, considered by many at the time to be the single greatest basketball recruiting class ever. There was some blowback from members of that team and their fans, saying NBC’s appropriation of that moniker for this year’s U.S. women’s gymnastics team was derivative and “lazy” journalism, not to have come up with something more original. The criticism was of NBC, not of the gymnasts, who had never claimed that title for themselves. Whereupon the gymnasts decided to start calling themselves the “Fierce Five,” believing that better reflected their competitive spirit, which they see as their hallmark. </p>

<p>[With</a> Fab Five ‘taken’, U.S. gymnasts pick Fierce Five ? USATODAY.com](<a href=“http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/london/gymnastics/story/2012-08-08/usa-womens-gymnastics-fab-five-fierce-five/56882544/1]With”>http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/london/gymnastics/story/2012-08-08/usa-womens-gymnastics-fab-five-fierce-five/56882544/1)</p>

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<p>^Yep. Lol. </p>

<p>I’m a huge basketball fan so everytime I heard Fab Five I kept thinking back to the Michigan team.</p>

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<p>I didn’t even know about them. I think the 2003 gymnastics fab five name was given by gymnastics fans rather than the media.</p>

<p>Lergnom, the issues with floor aren’t a natural result of open-ended scoring. They’re a result of poor management by the technical committee, who makes the code of points. These problems were present in 2001-2004 but weren’t as bad as they are now. The rules encouraged bloated routines with awkward setups for leaps and turns between tumbling passes. Things got a little better in 2009, though. There are also artistry deductions, but they’re obviously not being applied properly, otherwise numerous gymnasts would have lower scores on floor. Looking at the proposals for next quad, I can already see something that will create problems with routine composition.</p>

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<p>C-Webb. :)</p>

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<p>So thrilled for Allyson Felix’s win. She attended high school nearby and her mother was my son’s teacher many years ago.</p>

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<p>Michael phelps, named an “American hero.” Although we extol him for representing the usa, do any of you, like me, feel like its a bit of an overstatement? Comments/support?</p>

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<p>After seeing clips of that epic battle between Lee and Lin in Men’s singles badminton, there are a few thoughts I simply can not get out of my mind. (For those who can find it, it is well worth a look. In the opionion of many, it is one of the greatest matches ever played).</p>

<p>I think the Chinese are in the process of taking complete control of this sport like they did with table tennis. It is sad for me to see how far the once proud badminton nations like Indonesia and Malaysia have fallen. Indonesia has failed for the first time, in the Olympic Games, to win a gold medal in this sport. In act, she can not get a medal of any colour. Malaysia, with the exception of Lee, is probably in worse shape.</p>

<p>While The Chinese head coach Li Yongbo is responsible for the second Renaissance of Chinese badminton, the man with the greatest influence on this big red machine goes to Tang Xianhu. His life is full of twists and turns, in lockstep with the political turmoil of his era. Ailing health is probably why he was not in Lin’s coaching corner this time around.</p>

<p>Tang went to China from his native Indonesia and became one of China’s greatest players. In a visit to Denmark in 1965, just before the Cultural Revolution, he defeated the Danish champion, a 5 time winner of the All England (the unofficial world championship of the time) by the incredible scores of 15-5, 15-0. </p>

<p>After retiring, he began coaching and produced Chinese world champions Lin Ying and Wu Dixi. In 1986, he returned to Indonesia to look after his ailing parents and trained Olympic Champion Alan Budikusuma, World Champion Hendrawan, and World Cup Champion Ardy Wiranata just in time for Indonesia to regain badminton supremacy from China. </p>

<p>Failing to get his Indonesian citizenship, he went back to China once again and you guess it, produced World Champion Xia Xuanze, and Olympic champions Ji Xinpeng, Cai Yun, Fu Haifen, and of course Lin Dan. I cannot help but wonder how he must have felt in the 2000 Games, watching his Indonesian student Hendrawan defeating his Chinese student Xia Xuanze, then watch his other Chinese student Ji Xinpeng defeating Hendrawan for the gold medal.</p>

<p>Another Indonesian with a fascinating history is Liang Quixia. She went to China and for many years a member of the Chinese National Team. After she retired she went back to Indonesia by way of Hong Kong and rejoined her family. While she was playing for China, her younger brother, Tjun Tjun, was a star with Indonesia, winning the All England Men’s double 6 times. After becoming a coach in Indonesia, she produced the great Olympic Champion Susi Susanti, who successfully took on 3-4 generations of Chinese stars for a re-emerged Indonesian squad.</p>

<p>Just some random thoughts for what its worth…</p>

<p>BTW, I expect the US to surpass China in total gold medals today, and will only increase the lead right to the end of the games. After saying that I do not expect China to get any more than 35 golds, however, maybe I should simply keep quiet and watch instead.</p>

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<p>D2 and a bunch of college bound freshmen have been spending night and day together before they all head out to various destinations. The other night, they pulled together a “badminton tourney” at one of their homes. I thought it was amusing; but for the Olympics, I doubt the thought would ever have occurred to them. D2 had never played, but said she had the time of her life.</p>

<p>Based on the medals, it seems the Chinese have already taken over the sport.</p>

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<p>Woot woot for Aries Merritt!! Was with a friend last night whose son was friends with him. Aries literally had no shoes or coat as a kid, and used to stuff his pockets with things from their pantry when he came over. </p>

<p>The bartender at the restaurant (who had attended a top local prep school) used to run HS track against him. Aries smoked him!!</p>

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<p>Here’ an interesting graphic re: medal counts over the years…</p>

<p>[Results</a> - London 2012 Olympics - The New York Times](<a href=“http://london2012.nytimes.com/results]Results”>Results - London 2012 Olympics - The New York Times)</p>

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<p>this is the medal count link I’ve seen … [All-Time</a> Olympic Medal Standings - Summer | NBC Olympics](<a href=“http://www.nbcolympics.com/medals/summer-all-time-standings/index.html]All-Time”>http://www.nbcolympics.com/medals/summer-all-time-standings/index.html) … you can pick a sport or one Olympics … there also a way to pick stacked bar charts that are pretty cool also (for example, it showed one of the early Olympics (1904?) had a ton more medals than any other one … why?)</p>

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<p>Cool story re: how Aries became a hurdler. Trying to edit down to just the relevant stuff so the quote is an acceptable length without losing the spirit of the story.

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<p>[Aries</a> Merritt of US wins 110-meter hurdles gold | ajc.com](<a href=“http://www.ajc.com/sports/aries-merritt-of-us-1494258.html]Aries”>http://www.ajc.com/sports/aries-merritt-of-us-1494258.html)</p>

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<p>Am a little late with this and I think Toledo already mentioned it above, but SO happy for hometown guy Erik Kynard who won the silver medal in high jump on Tuesday - he attended a local public high school - and our public system gets way more than it’s share of bad press - so proud for local kids to see amazing results from someone right in their neighborhood!</p>

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<p>“Michael phelps, named an “American hero.” Although we extol him for representing the usa, do any of you, like me, feel like its a bit of an overstatement? Comments/support?”</p>

<p>Ridiculous to call him a hero.</p>

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<p>Although I am a Michael Phelps fan, I would never call him a hero. I think we bandy the word “hero” about way too casually, and it should be reserved for real heroes.</p>

<p>Back to the Olympics - let’s hear it for Claressa Shields, a 17-year-old boxer from Flint MI who goes for the gold this afternoon!!</p>

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<p>Canada just won the women’s soccer bronze over France 1-0 with the goal in the 92nd minute … seconds before OT was about to begin. For once the soccer gods were kind … after such a tough loss against the US it was seeing Canada catch a break in this game. (PS - which means it was a tough loss for France … who totally outplayed Canada but could not score a goal.)</p>

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<p>Agree, Phelps is an amazing athlete and an inspiration who helped bring a lot of attention to the sport of swimming. I look forward to seeing what he does next. A hero? No, and that’s not a bad thing.</p>