Most commentators at the 2008 Olympics were critical of the change to a much more “confusing” system:
That included the most famous “perfect 10” gymnast, Nadia:
Gymnastics-Comaneci laments demise of 10.00 – Yahoo Sports
Nadia
History repeated itself in Beijing when Nadia’s greatest rival — Nellie Kim — now F.I.G. Women’s Technical Chair — was called on to respond:
… Olympic champion turned judge Nellie Kim dismissed accusations by Nadia Comaneci that gymnastics had lost its identity by scrapping the “perfect 10.00” scoring system.
Comaneci created one of the most memorable Olympic moments when she became the first gymnast to score a perfect 10.00 at the 1976 Montreal Games. …
Comaneci dismissed after Olympic great hits out at new scoring – This is London
One of the arguments in favour of the new system is that the “Perfect 10” is still there … in the Execution score.
Or is it?
Dwight Normile is not so sure:
… I’m not sure what mandates were established for judges under the current Code of Points, but I thought some of the execution scores in Beijing were a bit severe. If Nastia Liukin had done the vault she did in the all-around final 20 years earlier, at the Seoul Olympics, she would have scored a 10.0. Or at the very least, 9.95. In Beijing, her execution average was 9.525.
If the FIG is going to promote the concept that the 10.0 is still part of the open-ended scoring system, then it should allow gymnasts to score one occasionally. Or at least get close. I’m not suggesting the 10.0 become as common as it was at Seoul 1988, when 40 were awarded. But as it stands now, who will ever remember what Liukin scored on that beautifully stuck vault? …
… the Phantom 10.0 – International Gymnast
Do you really think the judging will be “better” at the 2012 Olympics than in Beijing?
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