gymnastics rules change could improve safety

An injury on TV to one of the top gymnasts in the world sparks discussion on how it might have been prevented.

NewsTimes.com – Bross’ status for worlds unknown after knee injury

Personally, I thought Rebecca’s bad landing off Beam was extremely dangerous, too. She really did looked primed for injury at VISA Championships.

George Novak, former FIG judge, doesn’t comment often. But when he does, we should listen:

… If a clean 1.5 TY would beat a sloppy DTY, or a clean DTY would beat a sloppy Amanar we would not have kids pushing for the extra tenths that they so desperately need to to be on top. …

That’s it in a nutshell. Thanks George.

But instead of communicating that obvious instruction to every judge, FIG is instead “simplifying” the judging regulations for the 2016 cycle after Bruno Grandi referred to the 2012 Code as a ‘time bomb‘.

How is that simplification going?, you might ask.

Queen Elizabeth doesn’t have much faith in the process:

… Around 200 pages of text were produced about the women’s Code alone. The Code itself is a document of some 192 pages of densely packed text, tables and symbols, and to make things worse it is supplemented by a misleadingly named ‘Helpdesk’ of some 58 pages, which is supposed to be a condensed, easy-to-use guide, but which in fact adds new ideas to the original core Code as well as possible new variations in interpretation. All in the name of ‘simplification’. …

I’m not optimistic that the major problem with our current rules — too much credit for difficulty — will be solved.

There is one bit of good news:

… Instant Replay and Control System “IRCOS by FIG”, jointly developed by the FIG and its partner Longines, recently underwent substantial modification. …

… users will be glad to hear is that from now on, scores given by reference judges will be visible on the screen. …

FIG

Recall the reference judges at Worlds in Rotterdam? … I didn’t think so. Their influence was far from transparent.

Perhaps in Tokyo Nellie Kim will be making fewer phone calls to her Judging Panels if there’s more transparency in scoring.

(via Full Twist)

My best guess is that FIG will throw more hours, paper, technology and money at the much criticized WAG rules … and that we’ll still have dangerous Amanars beating good YDT vaults in the Rio Olympics.

Gymnastics rules change could improve safety. But I’m predicting they won’t.