Olympic tie-breaking rules

Very controversial in London, as they have been in past Olympics, are the somewhat arbitrary ways that FIG breaks ties.

Krisztian Berki v Louis Smith, for example, in the Pommel final.

That’s one of Guardian’s top 10 photographs of the Olympics Games. Tears of happiness in prelims, it seems. Thanks Sher.

Louis opted to do his “easier” routine. It cost him.

• Aliya Mustafina and Aly Raisman both scored 59.566 AA

• Aly Raisman and Catalina Ponor both scored 15.066 in the Beam final … Judges had Ponor 1st, over-ruled after appeal by the Head Judge. Injustice done?

• Aliya Mustafina and Vanessa Ferrari both scored 14.900 in the Floor final

• Kohei Uchimura and Denis Ablyazin both scored 15.800 in the Floor final

There were too many ties. For sure. 😦

Brigid McCarthy argues that ties should be allowed:

… it is … confusing and unrewarding for the viewers who do not know the rules …

FIG – TIE BREAKING RULES:

In case of a tie at any place on any apparatus except vault in Competition I for the qualification to Competition III, the tie will be broken as follows:

Average of the 4 counting B-jury deductions
Average of the three lowest of the 4 counting B-jury deductions
Average of the two lowest of the 4 counting B-jury deductions
The lowest of the 4 counting B-jury deductions
Average of the 5 lowest B-jury deductions
Average of all 6 B-jury deductions

FIG WTC Chair Nellie Kim knows all about Olympic ties. She tied Nadia AA on Floor at the 1980 Olympics. Wikipedia.

The problem with allowing ties, as FIG allows at Worlds, is the temptation for judges to deliberately tie.

BEST, I feel, would be to calculate the E score in some way which results in less chance of a tie. Perhaps average all scores.

related – Confessions of a Gymnastics Fan – Make It or Tie-break It