Amy Van Deusen has updated her top 8 controversies to top 9, adding the Chinese age falsification scandal:
Any sport that’s judged is bound to have its results debated ad nauseam. And gymnastics certainly has had its share of dubious wins. But it’s not just the scores that have caused disagreement over the years: equipment errors, seemingly arbitrary rules, and even a doping scandal have all given gym fans plenty to talk about.
Check out my list of the top 8 controversies in Olympic gymnastics — and weigh in on your thoughts on each. Maybe we can settle these disputes once and for all.
You can review and vote on each controversy. Great fun!
There are others, of course. Amy could put together another list. Include Marian Dragalescu in the Vault final at the Athens Olympics.
9.35 / 9.9 on this vault. That’s an impossible score. Fall plus alignment deductions, in addition to execution deductions. (I seem to recall 4 of the vault judges were later reprimanded. But Marian, from Romania, kept the Bronze medal.)
To see the video of Dragalescu and the eventual Olympic Vault Champion Deferr, click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
In fact, Amy could do a top 8 controversies of the Men’s 2004 Olympics including the Paul Hamm fiasco. 2004 was by far the worst gymnastics finals in the history of our sport.
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