Anything but routine

by Kerri Strug, Yahoo! Sports

August 29, 2004

There are many images, moments and memories that we take from each Olympic Games. I think that gymnastics gave its fans a lot to recall from Athens.

I know I will never forget Paul Hamm's comeback from a fall on the vault to win the all-around title. His ability to win the competition reiterated an important concept we all know, yet sometimes forget; never give up because you never know what that extra effort may do for you later.

I always thought it was impossible to win a gymnastics competition after a major fall, but Hamm's performance proved otherwise.

Now I will certainly think twice before I tell someone that a mistake is detrimental in the sport I love so much.

Not only will Hamm's comeback stick in my mind, but so too will all the controversy over his gold medal.

Being involved in the sport, I have always known that errors transpire.

However, the one the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) made really hit home because they admitted the mistake, yet initially did nothing about it.

Then, rather than take action to correct the error, they later asked Hamm himself to fix the mistake by voluntarily giving back the gold medal he was awarded.

The scandal revealed to the public something that has been hidden for years.

Performance is not everything in gymnastics. Politics and third party officials play a role too important to ignore.

Although Paul Hamm and South Korean Yang Tae-young are paying a huge price for someone else's mistakes, I think that what the public saw in Athens will ultimately help gymnastics and its athletes in the future.

Hopefully a new scoring system will be incorporated that will assist in eliminating inevitable mistakes and favoritism.

Then there are the gymnastics fans.

Typically well-composed and respectful of the officials' judging, they generally don't react negatively when a referee makes a seemingly wrong call.

But in the days after the men's all-around finals – and the debacle which occurred there – it became clear that spectators were no longer going to put up with inadequate judging.

The booing after Alexei Nemov's routine was scored, the ten-minute delay and the ultimate upgrade in his score were monumental in the sport of gymnastics.

I can't recall another competition in either men's or women's gymnastics when such a dramatic situation took place. Hopefully that was the first and the last one.

On a brighter note, I think all Americans should remember the successes that both the men and women achieved in Athens compared to the Sydney games four years ago. Both teams implemented a new training system that will clearly stay in effect given the success at these Games.

The results were parallel for both the men's and women's programs – team silvers and all-around golds. The medal standings showed the world that USA gymnastics no longer lags behind the typically dominant teams from Russia and Romania.

The new format implemented in these Games has changed gymnastics, and that was also extremely evident in Athens. There were numerous falls and a tremendous amount of movement among competitors and their rankings, especially among the men.

I have to say, I'm not a fan of the change. It magnifies the mistakes and gives fewer gymnasts per country an opportunity to compete. However, I do think it helps even the playing field among the various countries.

It was nice to see individualists incorporated into the teams; this gave smaller countries the opportunity to win some medals in the individual event finals. Watching the Greek gymnast win gold on the rings was electrifying, something that would not have been possible in Olympics past.

The sport of gymnastics is very special during the Olympics.

Each quadrennium brings us new stars, new acrobatic moves and new scoring systems. However, regardless of the year or of the competitors' nationalities, there are common characteristics among the gymnasts that should be commended and respected.

Any gymnast that competes in the Olympic Games has reached the sport's pinnacle of competition. The public can learn a lot through the athletes. They demonstrate a strong desire to succeed, an ability to focus and perseverance.

When the fans look back on the gymnasts they watched in Athens, hopefully these qualities are what they will remember and what will inspire youngsters in years to come.

Kerri Strug is Yahoo! Sports' Olympic gymnastics analyst.

Updated on Sunday, Aug 29, 2004 9:44 pm, EDT

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