Paul Hamm: Did He Deserve Gymnastics Gold in 2004?

What was the controversy all about?

In the 2004 Olympics, an all-star group of athletes from around the world gathered together to compete for titles in gymnastics. In the spirit of competition, there are always tensions between analysts and spokespersons about whether or not athletes deserve the medals they receive. Sometimes, judges are found to be at fault for the controversy, and other times the fiasco is trumped up by uneducated speculation. In this case, the Paul Hamm stir was due to an ancillary error.: the judges mistakenly set his rival's starting score at 9.9 rather than 10.0. Many believe that it is this error that cost Yang Tae Young, the South Korean rival of Paul Hamm, the all-around gold medal in gymnastics.

Gymnastics judging is not a science.

This is proven again and again. There is no mathematical way of measuring gymnastics routines -- in fact, gymnastics is perhaps one of the most subjective sports of all. No goals are involved, as in soccer - no hoops like in basketball; no bullseyes are involved, as in archery; one does not go for distance or height, as in pole vaulting or shot put. In gymnastics, an athlete is judged on form, scored on perfection. It is exceedingly difficult to do so accurately, as there are no vectors that can be calculated to see if someone grasps hold of the parallel bars incorrectly or lands with a wobble.

If you have ever been to a gymnastics competition, you probably understand that panels look at execution for their scoring: something that is full of twists and turns and is poorly executed will score lower than something that is simpler but perfectly executed. The criteria for measuring this aspect of gymnastics include stability and landings -- whether or not he or she wavered in the element's terminus, or held position for less than three seconds at the end of the routine, or took an extra step or stumbled. This does indeed lead to criticism of the judges' abilities to do their job, and leads also to mistakes in scoring.

Why does Paul Hamm deserve gold?

Paul Hamm, like any other athlete, is and was not a part of the politics of the game. He was there to compete, and indeed, he was there to win. This is the goal of thousands of Olympic hopefuls around the world -- to go to the games and to show their skill at the sport they love best. In all actuality, no athlete should have to deal with the things Paul Hamm was forced through. It is entirely understandable that he should refuse to give up his medal -- the gold is certainly not tainted; it was his and his alone. The mistakes of the judges are not his to bear. He is an incredible gymnast, indeed.

Why does Yang Tae Young, his rival, not deserve gold?

Perhaps more convincing is the reason as to why Yang Tae Young, Paul Hamm's Korean rival, does not deserve the gold medal so many have attributed to him. Firstly, the Korean gymnastics team's representative was late in calling in a complaint, which made the investigation itself - and all the stress associated with it - completely invalid (Olympic rules state, that a protest needs to be made before the end of any full game, such as with the parallel bars, and the Koreans did not do so). Even then, the judges were suspended, and the probing took place. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, even if the judges gave Tae Young the extra .10 points warranted by the difficulty of his routine, he still would have scored lower than he did because of yet another ancillary error. After the tapes were reviewed, it was revealed that Tae Young accidentally made four holds on the bars rather than the allotted three, which would have resulted in a deduction of .2, still leaving him with a deficit of a tenth of a point.

The snafu regarding Paul Hamm's gold medal - versus, of course, giving the medal up to the South Korean team - is regretable. There should have been no question that Hamm deserved his medal, and he certainly should not have had to deal with the problems around the world. Nor, indeed, did he deserve all of the ill press surrounding his name. The gold medal was well-earned. It certainly bears no tarnishing, and neither does his record.

By Murray Hughes
Gymnastics Secrets Revealed "The book EVERY gymnastics parent should read"

http://www.gymnast icssecretsrevealed.com/gymnastics-articles/paul-hamm.htm

If your child is a gymnast and you enjoyed this article, you will definitely enjoy reading the zero cost, 5-day course Gymnastics Tips Course written especially for gymnastics parents. Go here now: Gymnastics and Paul Hamm

In The News:


Better Links Directory


Heraldry in the Crafts--Why Not Specialize?

I have a small website where I try to sell... Read More

I, Ego, and Power

I: - A vowel that didn't appear in sacerdotal alphabets... Read More

Celtic Jewelry: Ancient Symbolism in Popular Fashion

The mysterious and the mystical have always had the power... Read More

Native American Life After Prophetstown

My name is Luksi Humma, I am Choctaw or, Chahta,... Read More

Unguided Men

Humanity - the sole endeavor of sanctity in every man,... Read More

Eminem Slimshady

Firstly revealed by the fable Dr.Dre, and then debut of... Read More

Smart Art Investments - Buy What You Love!

Collecting art can be one of the most enjoyable ways... Read More

Building Catapults Required Engineering Know How

When building catapults, armies had to include in their ranks... Read More

Learn How To Draw Faces Realistically

Drawing a face isn't as hard as it looks. To... Read More

Mexican Living: So You Want To Expatriate?

Expatriate wannebees often ask us how we managed our expatriation... Read More

Moissanite Earrings, The Modern Brazilian Beetle

The history of earrings is a varied history indeed. And... Read More

Sterling Silver Jewelry - The Rest Of The Story

Silver is widely diffused but is rarely found in the... Read More

A Look at the Heart of American Beauty

Sam Mendes' darkly comic portrayal of suburbia in his first... Read More

The New Age Movement

New Age - A Paradigm Shift to Divine Consciousness &... Read More

Human Genome Project and Mayan Calendar

HUMAN GENOME PROJECT: - In 1991 Michael Coe wrote Breaking... Read More

Mythology and Parables in Modern Communication - Part 2

There is a big adjustment coming in terms of our... Read More

How To Get Rich and Die Quick!

It is funny how web site promotion can suddently plunge... Read More

The Daily Show is a Must See on Comedy Central

Doesn't it seem that today there is nothing but bleak... Read More

Mexican Living: Daily Schedule of an Expatriate

I was wondering if you might be interested in what... Read More

The Dating Game

Lord Renfrew, Disney Professor of Archaeology at Cambridge University states:... Read More

Leonardo Da Vinci

THE BICYCLE OF LEONARDO DA VINCI: - "? a man... Read More

To Quote or Not to Quote

"By necessity, by proclivity, and by delight, we all quote."... Read More

ML - CHI - Zadok and the Making of Gold

ATOMIC HIGH-SPIN TECHNOLOGY: - In 1950 B.C. there was a... Read More

Mexican Living: Doctors, Doctors, Doctors

I am sick. I don't know what's wrong nor if... Read More

Learn Chinese Language Tips and Techniques

There's no doubt learning any foreign language requires effort, time... Read More