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Fourth-Place Medal

Mon Aug 18, 2008 1:55 pm EDT

Why is a tie-breaker needed in gymnastics?

By Maggie Hendricks

I was not pleased to learn that Nastia Liukin had been denied a gold in the uneven parallel bars due to a tiebreaker. Judging in gymnastics is under enough fire -- see Sacramone, Alicia -- so no fuel need be added.

Here is my question -- why not two golds? Ties result in two medals of the same color in several different sports. Two silvers were awarded in track and field in the women's 100m dash. Why is it necessary to break a tie in a sport that is overly subjective in the first place? If Liukin and China's He Kexin had routines that were truly identical in difficulty and execution, I see no harm in saying that and giving them both gold. If it is absolutely necessary to break the tie, do as other sports do and continue the competition. Have a tiebreaking routine with three or four required elements. Gold should not come down to an obscure reason.

If I had a gold to give out, I would give it to Liukin, not for her routine, but for her response.

"It’s nothing I can control, and honestly, I can say it has been very fair to me, and I got the biggest gold medal of them all," said Liukin, winner of the women’s all-around gymnastics gold.

Classy and well-spoken yet she still points out that she won the crown jewel of the Olympics in gymnastics. Well done, Nastia.

Photo via Getty Images 

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  1. Scratch G
    1. Posted by Scratch G Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:10 pm EDT

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    Maggie, your comments are sour grapes. Shame on you!
    Liukin did a fantastic job and she lost to the gold on a technical ruling. The world is with her.
    But your whining comments just shadow Liukin's success.
  2. UsA
    2. Posted by UsA Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:39 pm EDT

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    When Americans win, it is fair. When Americans lose, then there must a conspiracy. We see that in gymnastics, tennis (Blake), boxing, and track (100m) so far. If the international judges were indeed so biased against USA, then it is about time to do some self-examination to find out why the rest of the world has such a low opinion of America.
  3. Perzlaf
    3. Posted by Perzlaf Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:12 pm EDT

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    Nastia's like "whatever, I got the best gold medal of them all" lookin' down on Kexin
  4. usa08
    4. Posted by usa08 Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:18 pm EDT

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    Sour grapes...I think not. Pointing out when USA athletes get out and out robbed it is not sour grapes it is fact...like it or not. Scratch G if you are going to support the "technical" BS at the Olympics and pretend it is fair when it's clear to everyone at the games that it isn't then you may want to re-evaluate who you are really supporting at these games. China would welcome someone like you to cheer on their underage gymnasts I'm sure.
  5. Clever
    5. Posted by Clever Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:26 pm EDT

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    Kurnik, as she should.
  6. newadventures
    6. Posted by newadventures Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:57 pm EDT

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    I am sick of sour grapes comments....have any of you gone to The Day after Thanksgiving Sales????? Really, shut up with it.....since when is it okay to out and out cheat???? What kind of thinking is that? Why and When did it suddenly become okay with America? Man, stand up for our athletes, why is stating the obvious and rallying our athletes as well as defending them become sour grapes? If your only responce is we are jealous, sour grapes or anything like it....refrain....I'm not talking to you, it is pointless.
  7. Henry J
    7. Posted by Henry J Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:18 pm EDT

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    Somebody commented that the judged are biased and anti-American. This is a very strong statement. Is there any solid proof? Come on, we Americans got enough reputation of accusing others without sufficient evidence. I guess, if it is true that the judges are biased, they could always find some excuse and Nastia Liukin would not have got the gold in the women's all-round.
    There are specific rules for tie-breaker. The judges were simply going by the rules.
  8. Scratch G
    8. Posted by Scratch G Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:10 pm EDT

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    One big sour grape Maggie has a few online followers. Ok, you all won the Gold medal in the sport of: Whine! Whine! Whine!
    Liukin was graceful and flawless in her execution. Kudos to her!! But she knew it well before she got into the Games that execution score wins over difficulty if there is a tie of overall score. If Maggie or your part-time blogers and full time whiners want to contest this rule, do it beforehand, not after.
    Even a 18-year Liukin is able to say all those right things so diplomatically than Maggie and her followers.
    Go Liukin!
  9. PitFrog
    9. Posted by PitFrog Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:48 pm EDT

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    Re: POST #4
    Yeah, everyone seems to have a low opinion of the USA until we have to come over and save their butts!
    But regarding the Olympics, the IOC needs to keep tight reigns over The Games in order to maintain a level playing field, and yes, even if it means a lower medal count for the USA. I, for one, am for the BEST athlete...no matter where they're from. Let's keep politics out of the Olympics.
  10. daoshi101
    10. Posted by daoshi101 Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:36 pm EDT

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    Is there an up-age limit for Olympic athletes? Most America female athletes looks older than 30, I thought that's too old for gymnastics.
  11. Jon D
    11. Posted by Jon D Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:45 pm EDT

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    Maybe that is why they are called "uneven bars".
  12. Jon D
    12. Posted by Jon D Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:45 pm EDT

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    Maybe the Chinese team should be in the "pre-teen" Olympics.
  13. Henry J
    13. Posted by Henry J Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:18 pm EDT

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    I am an American. And, I totally support the USA team, emotionally. However, I would try to not blinded by my own emotions. The olympics games are about competing with skills and performance, not about the nationality.
    By the way, when we accuse others of cheating, we need to provide evidence. Otherwise, we are wasting our energy and resources.
  14. moi
    14. Posted by moi Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:43 pm EDT

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    the girl in the middle is not 16 , if she is then i am 21.
  15. Ms. Smith
    15. Posted by Ms. Smith Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:45 pm EDT

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    If there is something wrong with the protocol for gymnastic scoring, then it should have been pointed out BEFORE the Olympic Games NOT AFTER an American loss. The only reason why there is complaints afterwards about unfair scoring is SOUR GRAPES. I love our USA girls and I am proud of them for their accomplishments. But, I am not about to blame a silver on scoring protocols. The USA had plenty of time to question this before the games began.
    If an American took home a GOLD in this instance, would we be hearing 95% of these complaints?
  16. PitFrog
    16. Posted by PitFrog Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:48 pm EDT

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    Re: Post #19
    Eagle, you obviously have no clue about rules, sportsmanship and politics.
  17. ja w
    17. Posted by ja w Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:27 pm EDT

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    this hole olympics has been a bit fishy concering china players the girls are not 16 if they are then my 5 year old is 19 but good going for the swimming this year
  18. texasgal
    18. Posted by texasgal Thu Sep 03, 2009 2:53 pm EDT

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    Please don't tell me that the two Chinese gymnast are 16 years old - I teach in a HUGE school district - 10-11 year old students. These 2 gymnasts look so much younger than any of my students.
    As far as the unfair judging - it's unfair to all the gymnasts, not just the US. China shouldn't have won the bronze in the women's vault - I'm sure the 4th place gymnast feels the same and she's not from the US.
    It effects all the atletes involved - they must be wondering if the next Olympics will enforce the rules, or if the IOC is basically useless.
  19. Shorty
    19. Posted by Shorty Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:01 pm EDT

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    Lukin took the silver, but she can be positive about it and say that I have the best gold of them all (all around gold). She is alot wiser than her years with her response. We should all try to look at the positive. If the gymnast can, why cant we?
  20. texasgal
    20. Posted by texasgal Thu Sep 03, 2009 2:53 pm EDT

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    Sorry - I meant 3rd place in the Overall competition, not vault......(in my last comment)
  21. Scratch G
    21. Posted by Scratch G Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:10 pm EDT

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    #28 Texas mom. A non-Olympics comment.
    I have been to Texas many times (Dallas, Austin). I found Texas women are the most beautiful women I have ever seen in my life.
    Along that same line, they somehow all appear a few years older than women from my home state, California.
    What do you make of it?
  22. lazy bum
    22. Posted by lazy bum Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:26 pm EDT

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    i dont know how they decided the tie breaker but this years olympics have had a lot of problems. in gymnastics for some reason the judging has been somewhat lenient towards the chinese. no need to argue this case but i watched the womens vault final and i felt that alicia sacramone was robbed of a medal. the winner of the bronze was china's zhang fei when she clearly fell on her vault and still got a good score. i dont know whats going on but i think that the vault final was not fair.
  23. salix
    23. Posted by salix Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:51 pm EDT

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    @32
    - First they throw out the competition that they know will beat them
    You live in a fantasy world of your own.
  24. bigboo's bro
    24. Posted by bigboo's bro Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:38 pm EDT

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    What a disturbing picture. Those two Chinese gymnasts are simply grotesque. There is something seriously wrong with a sports establishment that exploits children this way.

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