Paul Hamm: Did He Deserve Gymnastics Gold in 2004?

What was the controversy all about?

In the 2004 Olympics, an all-star group of athletes from around the world gathered together to compete for titles in gymnastics. In the spirit of competition, there are always tensions between analysts and spokespersons about whether or not athletes deserve the medals they receive. Sometimes, judges are found to be at fault for the controversy, and other times the fiasco is trumped up by uneducated speculation. In this case, the Paul Hamm stir was due to an ancillary error.: the judges mistakenly set his rival's starting score at 9.9 rather than 10.0. Many believe that it is this error that cost Yang Tae Young, the South Korean rival of Paul Hamm, the all-around gold medal in gymnastics.

Gymnastics judging is not a science.

This is proven again and again. There is no mathematical way of measuring gymnastics routines -- in fact, gymnastics is perhaps one of the most subjective sports of all. No goals are involved, as in soccer - no hoops like in basketball; no bullseyes are involved, as in archery; one does not go for distance or height, as in pole vaulting or shot put. In gymnastics, an athlete is judged on form, scored on perfection. It is exceedingly difficult to do so accurately, as there are no vectors that can be calculated to see if someone grasps hold of the parallel bars incorrectly or lands with a wobble.

If you have ever been to a gymnastics competition, you probably understand that panels look at execution for their scoring: something that is full of twists and turns and is poorly executed will score lower than something that is simpler but perfectly executed. The criteria for measuring this aspect of gymnastics include stability and landings -- whether or not he or she wavered in the element's terminus, or held position for less than three seconds at the end of the routine, or took an extra step or stumbled. This does indeed lead to criticism of the judges' abilities to do their job, and leads also to mistakes in scoring.

Why does Paul Hamm deserve gold?

Paul Hamm, like any other athlete, is and was not a part of the politics of the game. He was there to compete, and indeed, he was there to win. This is the goal of thousands of Olympic hopefuls around the world -- to go to the games and to show their skill at the sport they love best. In all actuality, no athlete should have to deal with the things Paul Hamm was forced through. It is entirely understandable that he should refuse to give up his medal -- the gold is certainly not tainted; it was his and his alone. The mistakes of the judges are not his to bear. He is an incredible gymnast, indeed.

Why does Yang Tae Young, his rival, not deserve gold?

Perhaps more convincing is the reason as to why Yang Tae Young, Paul Hamm's Korean rival, does not deserve the gold medal so many have attributed to him. Firstly, the Korean gymnastics team's representative was late in calling in a complaint, which made the investigation itself - and all the stress associated with it - completely invalid (Olympic rules state, that a protest needs to be made before the end of any full game, such as with the parallel bars, and the Koreans did not do so). Even then, the judges were suspended, and the probing took place. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, even if the judges gave Tae Young the extra .10 points warranted by the difficulty of his routine, he still would have scored lower than he did because of yet another ancillary error. After the tapes were reviewed, it was revealed that Tae Young accidentally made four holds on the bars rather than the allotted three, which would have resulted in a deduction of .2, still leaving him with a deficit of a tenth of a point.

The snafu regarding Paul Hamm's gold medal - versus, of course, giving the medal up to the South Korean team - is regretable. There should have been no question that Hamm deserved his medal, and he certainly should not have had to deal with the problems around the world. Nor, indeed, did he deserve all of the ill press surrounding his name. The gold medal was well-earned. It certainly bears no tarnishing, and neither does his record.

By Murray Hughes
Gymnastics Secrets Revealed "The book EVERY gymnastics parent should read"

http://www.gymnast icssecretsrevealed.com/gymnastics-articles/paul-hamm.htm

If your child is a gymnast and you enjoyed this article, you will definitely enjoy reading the zero cost, 5-day course Gymnastics Tips Course written especially for gymnastics parents. Go here now: Gymnastics and Paul Hamm

Opal Jewelry -- Your Own Personal Piece of Rainbow

Opal is a magnificent gemstone whose shades encompass virtually every... Read More

OM to Ogham

Plato observed that the advent of an alphabet making writing... Read More

Hip-hop Jewelry and Todays Stars

Watch any of the major movie, television, and music award... Read More

African Americans: Get the Winning Edge

Everybody wants an edge that will give him or her... Read More

Amaterasu The Goddess of the Sun

Amaterasu is a shining example of how adversity can help... Read More

Native American Astrology: The Hawk (March 21 - April 19)

The Hawk is the first sign of the Native American... Read More

Native American Life After Prophetstown

My name is Luksi Humma, I am Choctaw or, Chahta,... Read More

The Masked Fool

The FoolMy first direct experience of the fool in masking... Read More

Tarot Cards Demystified: The Suit of Cups

There are many ways to interpret the symbolism found in... Read More

American Citizenship

Can We Pass The Test?American CitizenshipI'm the daughter of an... Read More

The Crisis of Human Survival

Environmental Pollution1. Damage to The Ozone Layer Causes Radiation PollutionThe... Read More

When We Was Kids In Chicago

Radio was the big communicator, back when I was a... Read More

The Symbolism Behind an Anchor Tattoo and Anchor Tattoo Design

Anchor tattoos were all the rage for sailors. It was... Read More

Unguided Men

Humanity - the sole endeavor of sanctity in every man,... Read More

Astrology Signs and Planets Reveal Who You Are

But people are starting to take a new look at... Read More

Can You Hear My Secret Calling

A true love story"So, was it an eyes-meet-across-the-room-thing and you... Read More

Learn How to Solve Problems With a Feng Shui Mirror

A mirror, when becoming a feng shui mirror, can be... Read More

A Short Biography on Some of Europes Most Loved and Hated Monarchs - Pt 4 Queen Mary I

Queen Mary I of England was born in 1516 to... Read More

Inuit Eskimo Art As Investments

Many people collect Inuit art as investments. Inuit art is... Read More

Troubadours

CHRETIEN DE TROYES:Academics will freely admit that this man was... Read More

How to Make Your Civil War Uniform Shirt

Your own shirt designed and made by you for your... Read More

Personal Protection Specialists and Celebrity Stalking

Celebrity stalking has become the way for the socially inept... Read More

Numerology Is More Than Numbers

Over thiry-five years ago, I picked up a book on... Read More

How To Get Rich and Die Quick!

It is funny how web site promotion can suddently plunge... Read More

From Dynasty to Destiny: Ten Celebrated Inventions of Ancient China

In the last two centuries, new cultural discoveries have nearly... Read More