It simply wouldn't be an Olympics without a measure of controversy.
I admit, the only time I ever watch gymnastics is during the Olympics. They're great athletes, but I just don't consider tumbling and such a sport.
Nevertheless, I get just as caught up in the drama every four years as everyone else. The recent medal competition in the women's uneven bars was close, so close that the two top point-getters were tied at the end.
The gold medal was given to the Chinese gymnast after some convoluted tie-breaker that even now, after it was explained a couple of times, I still don't get.
The American was awarded the silver and the disappointment was evident by the expression on her face. Why didn't they just give them both gold medals? Two Jamaican women tied for second in a track event and they were both awarded silver medals. It's not unheard of.
By the way, does anyone besides me have doubts about some of those Chinese women gymnasts being 16?
Anyway, I simply can't consider gymnastics a sport. The judging is subjective. A panel of judges gives points based on their knowledge of the "sport." Same thing in the diving competition.
That means, like in the old Cold War days, when any judge in the Soviet Bloc and Cuba was not going to give an American the benefit of the doubt, all the scoring is questionable. It can be as much political as competitive.
I can easily comprehend the other sports. If you run faster, swim faster, jump higher than the next person, you win. Even the team sports have a clear winner. You score more points than your opponent and you win.
On that note, the U.S. is doing quite well in the team sports so far. Especially the women. The women's softball, basketball and water polo teams are on a roll. They are so dominate in softball that it will no longer be an Olympic sport after these games.
That, of course, is unfair. If the Chinese women begin to dominate gymnastics the next two Olympics, which they likely will do, will the Olympic committee drop gymnastics? No.
The men's basketball team is again living up to expectations. It will take a major stumble for them to lose.
This is not meant to diminish the abilities of all the young men and women in gymnastics and diving. Again, they are incredible athletes. They ought to, and do, have their own world championships.
But when winners and losers are left to the judgment of a panel of people who could clearly have prejudices, both political and personal, it just doesn't seem right, especially at the Olympics.
At least they got rid of ribbon dancing this time. Maybe they could replace it with sword-swallowing in the 2012 London Games.
So, He Kexin of China gets the gold and Nastia Liukin of the United States gets the silver and both had the exact same score. Go figure.
