Children Stealing Gold in Beijing

Pajamas Media ^ | August 17, 2008 | Gordon Chang

[Scotswife]

“Perhaps you are not away of the changes made to the code of points in the last few years.”

I am more than aware of the changes.
A balance check is still a balance check.
A fall is still a fall.
A broken connection is still a broken connection.
And with the new code - the old deductions are greater than they were in the past.

I am not complaining about “lack of dance”
I am complaining about WALKING AROUND when every walking step is a deduction even at the beginner levels.

Drooping arms, sloppy jumps, head down, eyes on the floor.
IMMATURE.

[Scotswife]

“no one is responding to the tooth issue here.”

LOL!
So I’ve noticed.

[Scotswife]

“Second, American judges routinely overscore everyone at U.S. nationals because quite frankly, they aren’t very critical. They consistently overlook minor errors such as cowboyed legs or failure to make a complete turn in the popa 1/2 or switch 1/2 or the tour jette full that the international judges will deduct on.”

It is not an issue of whether scores or too high or too low, it is an issue whether or not scores are consistent.

The execution deductions are not consistent.

And now tonight it happens again - the chinese vault was low, she piked it down into the ground and then landed on her hands and knees.
The execution deductions did not reflect those mistakes.

As I write - beam has not happened yet.

Let’s see if the judges remember from one routine to the next what a balance check is and what a broken connection is.

[PugetSoundSoldier]

Posting a pic several years old is supposed to prove something? Did you watch Jonson in the games?

That photo is from the June 2008 Vogue Teen shoot, making it 3-4 months old...

Troll.............

I await your apology for your mistake and your accusation.

[TASMANIANRED]

They may be young but they have out preformed the US gymnastics team.

[roses of sharon]

The USA should put our 8,9,10,11, 12, 13, year olds in next Olympics.

We could kick but with our tiny girls!

[ican'tbelieveit]

There are quite a few of these threads about the age of the Chinese female gymnasts which have links to articles showing their ages to be arguably younger than the required 16 for the Olympics.

[PugetSoundSoldier]

Yes, and as I’ve posted MANY TIMES in this thread, I do not dispute that. What I DO object to is how this thread started, that you can tell their age by their looks. Simply put, that’s flat out wrong.

Other information shows their ages to be too young; go after them for that. But to make comments about “well they look so young!” is bogus and ignoring reality, and very disappointing.

I thought conservatives would look at the facts and the content, not the shininess of the package. Apparently many FReepers will make a decision based strictly on looks and stick to it as long as possible...

[ican'tbelieveit]

HA!!!!! FReepers making decisions based on looks alone... seen any guilty/not guilty threads. Drives me nuts, :-).

But, I do agree with some of the comments regarding the young ladies teeth. They do appear to still be “baby” teeth, much smaller than what a 16 yo should have.

[doorgunner69]

Nice try troll, nowhere does it claim that photo was taken that date, or any date. Go find one of her in diapers, why don’t you? If it is in a recent article, you are all set!

[doorgunner69]

While you are thrashing around, grab a screenshot of her truly from a couple days ago and tell us the shots are just several months apart. The girl has been competing for years!

[TexasRepublic]

I asked a couple local Chinese that saw the Olympics what they thought about the girls’ ages. None of them thought the girls were 16.

[Truthsearcher]

This idea that Americans only think these girls are under 16 because they can’t judge the face of Asians is pure drivel, no Chinese honestly think they’re 16 either.

[longtermmemmory]

China is hold to the premise of Most Gold medals means superpower status.

[longtermmemmory]

China PAID the IOC fair and square.

Just like japan bought nagano games.

Just like salt lake was rife with bribes.

[PugetSoundSoldier]

Your ignorance has shown to be complete. Apparently you can’t click a link and look at the reference on the photo itself to confirm it was taken for that article (June 2008).

Speaks volumes of your intellectual and moral capacity...

[doorgunner69]

Piss off twit, do what I said and go post a current shot side by side.............otherwise you are full of caca.

Others were right, you are just a troll for the chicoms..........

[PugetSoundSoldier]

Piss off twit, do what I said and go post a current shot side by side.............otherwise you are full of caca.

Says the man who simply cannot accept the fact he has been proven wrong. I guess you do not understand how the Internet works, or how to follow links. So here are a few photos for your education:

Shawn Johnson at the JUNE 2008 Teen Vogue Photo Shoot

Shawn Johnson at the 2008 Nationals

Shawn Johnson at the 2008 Olympic Trials

Shawn Johnson - on the left end - with the US National Gymnastics team

All of these - and many more - can be found at Shawn Johnson's official website.

So you still going to claim I made the photo up? Are you that small and insecure of a person that you cannot admit a factual, well-proven error in judgment?

I thought FReepers were a higher class of people... Pride before the fall, I surmise!

[EDINVA]

their center(s) of gravity change as they get into puberty, so it throws off all the routines .. there was a lot of discussion about that with Michelle Kwan/Tara Lipinski and its affect on figure skating, similar to gymnastics.