08-26-2004, 10:47 PM
However right the Koreans think they are (and might actually be, for all we know), right now, all they're doing is making themselves look like sore losers.
In terms of the issue they are protesting, the Koreans definitely are right. What got screwed up was a fairly simple and objective process of recognizing the elements in the routine, looking up the bonus values, adding together a few two digit numbers, and getting a start value. Since judges have already been disciplined, it's pretty clear that they did manage to screw this up.
The big mystery is, why didn't the Koreans file an immediate protest? As I understand it, the rules require them to do that. The event went into the last rotation, and all of the gymnasts had a rough idea of the scores and what they needed to try to accomplish. The score should have been challenged and adjusted before that point. It's not quite as problematic as changing the number of goals scored in a soccer match after the match is over, but it is the same kind of issue. Changing the results now based on video review would set a bad precedent, and the federation will need to be very clear about what kinds of things can be challenged and when it can happen.
As for things that make me slack-jawed, the women's soccer/football gold medal match sure had me on the edge of my seat. The best part was when it went to overtime, and the officials were too worn out to come back to the field! Maybe that is the problem with gymnastics judging... the officials are sitting in their easy chairs instead of running around to get the best angle of the play.
In terms of the issue they are protesting, the Koreans definitely are right. What got screwed up was a fairly simple and objective process of recognizing the elements in the routine, looking up the bonus values, adding together a few two digit numbers, and getting a start value. Since judges have already been disciplined, it's pretty clear that they did manage to screw this up.
The big mystery is, why didn't the Koreans file an immediate protest? As I understand it, the rules require them to do that. The event went into the last rotation, and all of the gymnasts had a rough idea of the scores and what they needed to try to accomplish. The score should have been challenged and adjusted before that point. It's not quite as problematic as changing the number of goals scored in a soccer match after the match is over, but it is the same kind of issue. Changing the results now based on video review would set a bad precedent, and the federation will need to be very clear about what kinds of things can be challenged and when it can happen.
As for things that make me slack-jawed, the women's soccer/football gold medal match sure had me on the edge of my seat. The best part was when it went to overtime, and the officials were too worn out to come back to the field! Maybe that is the problem with gymnastics judging... the officials are sitting in their easy chairs instead of running around to get the best angle of the play.