RISING Russian gymnastic star Kristina Goryunova will not be able to compete in the 2012 Olympics after being suspended for a year by her national federation on Wednesday for using banned medication, local media reported.
Reports said that the samples taken from the 17-year-old at the national championships in November 2009, contained traces of the forbidden substance (one of furosemide analogues).
Goryunova justified the results by saying she was taking a food additive trying to lose weight, adding she did not know that it contained the banned substance. …
When it comes to gymnastics competitions, What are We Teaching our Kids?
His recommendations:
1. All athletes should remain in the competition arena until the last competitor is done competing.
2. Athletes should put their things into their gym bags (all of their things), zip them up, and put them out of the way.
3. There should be no talking during the presenting of awards.
4. All athletes should stay until the last award is handed out.
5. Scores at a meet are the least important thing about the meet.
6. An athlete should definitely have goals, but the process is the absolute most important thing.
7. Athletes on the award stand should congratulate the athletes on each side of her.
8. A great athlete learns to keep reactions on a fairly even keel. This means that they should never get too high or too low about what is going on (especially in reaction to scores).
9. Support and cheer for the other teams in your rotation.
10. We can set an example for our athletes by helping each other out as coaches.
11. We control what we can control, and don’t worry about things we can’t control.
I’d agree with Troy if all meets were run as excellently as the Great West Gym Fest. But when a competition is run badly (as many are) I’m sympathetic for the bored gymnasts, especially during awards.
My own pet peeve is older male gymnasts improperly dressed, or completely missing, during awards ceremonies.
Here’s a great example of why Canada’s “Own The Podium” is the right program, with the wrong name.
One of the great success stories is this guy …
He was shattered after finishing with a personal best, Canada’s best ever 5th place in the men’s 50KM Mass Start cross country ski race.
… “My goal was to stay with the leaders, conserve as much energy as I could,” Kershaw explained. “It’s a marathon. It takes over two hours. You have to be so calm and collected. I accomplished everything I hoped for, and more. But to be 1.5 seconds from the gold medal in a race so long …… when I see my technicians, it’s going to be really hard. It’s the best 50K of my life. But, at the same time, it’s really tough to place fifth.” …
… Alex Harvey of St-Ferreol-les-Neiges, Que., and Ivan Babikov of Canmore, Alta., were the last skiers on the course to cross the finish line.
Harvey was 32nd and Babikov 33rd, which called into question the decision to sit alternate Brian McKeever, the legally blind skier who was seeking to become the first winter athlete to compete in both the Olympics and Paralympics.
Harvey and Babikov didn’t appear to have anything left in the tank after a series of earlier races, whereas McKeever was fresh. The 50-km race would have been his only Olympic event. …
My respect for Weir climbed a notch or two after hearing him fire back at broadcasters Claude Mailhot and Alain Goldberg of RDS, a French-language sports channel in Quebec. Here’s that interview.
U.S. men’s figure skater Johnny Weir says he was ‘frankly, pissed’ upon learning that the two French-language commentators questioned his gender and made other jibes during his Olympic skating performances last week. (Feb. 24)
There’s been controversy in Canada over the Own The Podium program, a 5yr, $120 million supplimentary investment in high performance Olympic sport. Much was copied from programs in Australia and the U.S.A.
Personally I agree with Olympic great Ken Reed:
… The intent of Canada’s Own The Podium program has become lost – or perhaps obscured – with the focus on the medal count. Yes, it was always about trying to win more medals than anyone in 2010. But from the get-go, it was clearly stated that this was a stretch goal – an ambitious target intended to galvanize our nation, inspire our athletes, focus our funding and build a foundation of partnership. …
… OTP is an overwhelming success. We have delivered funding, coaching resources, technology, preparation and team unity to build an environment for success. Regardless of the medal count, this is a fact. Canada’s team was prepared. …
On the other hand, decisions have already been made to change leadership, perhaps shift the focus of Own the Podium, and possibly even changing the much mocked name.
UPDATE: The U.S.A. owned the podium at this Olympics. Germany was fantastic, too. Congratulations. But Canadians are not disappointed with our results, overall. And once we defeat the States today in Men’s Hockey, we’ll have the most Gold medals for any host nation in Olympic history.
… Most of my friends are convinced that the upstart Americans will win Hockey. But I’m not worried.
Now … the IOC is in a much easier position to pull the Team and Individual medal from Sydney. IOC must choose to support either China or the International Gymnastics Federation. They’ll back FIG.
China has no influence over Dong Fangxiao because she lives in New Zealand. She and her husband have admitted she was underage. How can China think they can sustain this lie now?
Obviously the correct response for Beijing would have been to fire the coaches and administrators from 2000. And apologize. Since that didn’t happen, … I’m guessing China has more skeletons in the closet.
Let’s assume one of the “fall guys” they would have fired got angry and decides to reveal other rules violations. Age of athletes in 2008, Beijing, for example. …
Gymnastics Examiner posted a good overview of the Chinese age falsification investigation:
… Yang, who is married to 2008 men’s Olympic all-around champion Yang Wei, was said to be 16 in Sydney. But in 2008 she gave an interview on Chinese television and stated that she was 14 when she competed at the Olympics. Yang later said she misspoke. She also won a bronze medal on uneven bars at the Sydney Games. …
I don’t believe for a second that Yang Yun was old enough for the 2000 Olympics. My guess is that she will admit her actual age in the massive media onslaught to come.
If China and her teammate are to be punished, I don’t think she and her Olympic Champion husband will stay quiet. He’s a national hero there.
Dong Fangxiao was 14 during the Sydney Games, according to an investigation by the International Gymnastics Federation. Gymnasts must be 16 during the Olympic year to compete.
A second gymnast on the 2000 squad, Yang Yun, also was suspected of being underage. But there was insufficient evidence her age had been falsified, and the FIG said it was giving her a warning.
The FIG has “cancelled” all of Dong’s results from Sydney and forwarded its investigation to the International Olympic Committee. Because the case involves the Olympics, it is up to the IOC to decide if China should lose any medals.
The IOC has said previously it would take “necessary measures” if any gymnasts were found to be underage. The United States was fourth at the Sydney Games.
“We can confirm that we have received the ruling from the FIG in the case concerning Dong Fangxiao and Yang Yun, and we take due note of their decision,” IOC spokesman Mark Adams said. “Clearly, we need to take time to consider the findings before the Executive Board can consider the matter. …
Most gymnastics experts feel the age requirement is the wrong way to protect young gymnasts around the world. But if FIG is going to make stupid rules, they should enforce them.
Next … why was Yang Yun found innocent? I saw muchmore convincing “evidence” that she was underage than for her teammate.
And will IOC actually strip Dong Fangxiao and the Chinese Olympic Team of their 2000 Olympic medals?
Comedian Stephen Colbert is at the Winter Olympics as “Assistant Sports Psychologist” to the U.S. Speed Skating Team. As well as a colour commentator for NBC.
Stephen’s personal philsophy is clearly stated on his personal poster.
Where I live in Canada there’s controversy regarding our “OWN THE PODIUM” program.
That’s a 5yr, $120 million fund created to put Canada first in medals won at the Vancouver Olympics. And in the top 3 in Paralympics.
Canadian athletes in the past, famously, have been gracious in defeat. Garnering more than our share of 4th and 5th place finishes. It’s about time we made it clear that our athletes are not “tourists”, as Dick Pound once called them.
I disagree with most of the complaints I’ve heard against Own The Podium. The only serious accusation is that the organizing committee scheduled too little practice time for foreign athletes at the competition venues. The Canadians got a lot more time, I hear. If so, the IOC needs change the rules.
GEM posted a couple of links relative to the story of the luger who died on a training run. Here’s one:
I finally saw this low budget Romanian documentary.
… famous for the legendary gymnast Nadia Comaneci, and its boarding school, which for decades has trained world class gymnasts.
Pitic and Malina might be two of its future stars, but the long road to the podium is full of deprivation. They are eight and nine years old and have been at the school in Deva since they were six. They train for four hours every day and spend the rest of their time in school.
This documentary follows the girls … leading up to their first and most important competition, capturing an intimate and moving insight into the contrast between their dreams, and the often harsh reality.
I’ve got mixed feelings. Perhaps that’s not surprising. I’ve got mixed feelings about Romanian gymnastics.
On the one hand, with a population only about as large as Texas, one of the poorest nations in Europe consistently bested Russia, China and the U.S.A.
Their girls were incredibly tough on Floor and Beam. For decades after Nadia.
On the other hand, I’ve heard more nonsense coaching theory from Romanians than any place else in the world. What kind of coach education system have they had there?None? I’m told there’s an intensive program. I’d love to see the curriculum.
The 3 coaches highlighted in this film are excellent examples of how not to coach.
Yes I realize I’m imposing Western values on Romania. Aside from ethics, what’s shown in the documentary is simply not the best way to develop elite gymnasts.
I do get the impression that things have improved there since Nicolae Forminte took over as National Coach.
Leave a comment if you know where people can download or stream The Secret of Deva.
Jim Holtrelated to this article in Sports Illustrated:
Ah, the old system, where perfection was a (10) — remember? …
The prime purpose of the new and unimproved scoring system was to better quantify the various elements in a program — required jumps and spins— so that the famously nefarious judges would have less latitude to cheat.
Alas, this created a scoring system so arcane that, by comparison, it makes computing the Standard and Poor’s index child’s play. Moreover, by emphasizing compulsory obligations, the new system diminished the emphasis on artistry. …
The first ever Youth Olympic Games (YOG) will be held in Singapore between 14 and 26 August 2010. That’s 3,600 athletes between 14 and 18 years of age from 205 National Olympic Committees.
Only 1 male and 1 female athlete will compete for each country in individual disciplines.
All 26 sports on the London 2012 Olympic Games programme will be hosted.
Today Nanjing, China was elected to host the second YOG in 2014.
We can be certain that Nanjing event will be massive, China still high on the success of the Beijing Games.
Obviously critics will be vocal that this new event will push young athletes too soon. It flies in the face of Bruno Grandi’s efforts to raise the minimum age of gymnasts competing at World’s and Olympic Championships.
Personally, I’m really looking forward to YOG. If successful, Olympic sports will get a media boost every two years, rather than every four.
