Script for Movie
Last summer world champion Jordan Wieber’s dream of competing to be the All-Around champion in Olympic gymnastics was crushed by being banned from the finals, despite easily qualifying with the fifth highest score, by a new rule allowing only two gymnasts per country to compete in the finals.
Jordan Wieber crying
Film clips
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hjLE_WLPZs
0:43-1:00
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/olympic-games-2012-us-gymnastics-team-jordyn-wieber-16885477
First 30 secs
21, 50-55, 1:24, 1:45, 1:58, 3:12, 3:18
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kceTqoW5Llc
2:00-2:32 and 2:36-2:52
Wieber was only one of many gymnasts and countless spectators disappointed by recent rule changes which prevent the best gymnasts from winning Olympic medals.
These recent rule changes, made by the International Federation of Gymnastics, include
1.Limiting finalists to two per country
Romanian medal sweep-2000
2.Limiting team size to 5 for women and 7 for men
Fierce Five
Magnificent Seven (1996)
Brandon Wynn rings
http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/Sq0Ya393liH/Visa+Championships/F0_wGEwZh9y/Brandon+Wynn
http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/Sq0Ya393liH/Visa+Championships/aIL8vcWPimq/Brandon+Wynn
http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/Sq0Ya393liH/Visa+Championships/lgG6uMBvPXX/Brandon+Wynn
3.Limiting the age to compete to above 16 for women Nadia Comaneci perfect 10
4.Refusing to give duplicate medals in the case of a tie
Olympic Gymnastics: The Tiebreaker Rule That Denied Aly Raisman a Bronze Medal
Mustafina and Raisman each scored a 59.566 in their four events. Mustafina took the bronze because of a tiebreak rule that was updated for this Olympics.
According to the Federation of International Gymnastics (FIG)’s Technical Regulations, which apply in the case of any ties:
In case of a tie in points at any place in Competition II, the ranking will be determined by the following criteria:
1. The gymnast with the highest sum of the final apparatus scores obtained will prevail (i.e. add the total of the 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 of the highest final apparatus scores for men / the total of the 3, 2, 1 highest final apparatus scores for women.
2. If they remain tied, the highest total E score by adding all apparatus will prevail.
3. If they remain tied, the highest total D score by adding all apparatus will prevail.
4. If they remain tied, the gymnasts will share the same classification.
Film clip
25- tie-should give both medals, hard rule, both deserve it
These rule changes should be reversed for the good of the gymnasts, for the good of the sport, for the good of the spectators, and for the good of the Olympics. These changes should be reversed now, at the beginning of the four year Olympic cycle.
- Inclusivity and fairness between countries is handled by allowing gymnasts from each country to compete at the Games. Finalists should be determined by score. Sweeping of medals is very rare and occurrence and popular in the news when it happens. Fans were not pleased that top gymnasts were omitted to make room for the 25th scoring gymnast to be 24thin the finals.
- Limiting team size meant that the top gymnasts in the world in certain events never even go to compete at the Olympics. The best solution to this is to allow the two or three best gymnasts on each event from each country to compete.
- The increase in age to 16 for female gymnasts was instituted for safety reasons, but gymnasts start tumbling as toddlers and many peak at age 14, such as Nadia Comanici, the first perfect 10 in Olympic Gymnastics. The increase in age to 16 limits the competition, preventing some of the best gymnasts in the world from competing
- Gymnastics is one of the only Olympic sports that doesn’t give two medals in the case of a tie. This rule should be changed to prevent the frustration and heartbreak of such a near miss felt by both gymnasts and fans.
As it says in the Olympic Creed:
“The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.”
http://www.google.com/imgres?q=olympic+creed&hl=en&sa=X&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox&rlz=1I7NDKB_enUS515&biw=1600&bih=703&tbm=isch&tbnid=ROZxB7NGoVIm9M:&imgrefurl=http://geographyoftheolympics.blogspot.com/&docid=6A4dNhQpBDXkJM&imgurl=http://raisingfigureskaters.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/DChitwood_OlympicCreed.jpg&w=1280&h=989&ei=C6tkUZqlLYXK4AOjsIHAAw&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=500&page=1&tbnh=149&tbnw=193&start=0&ndsp=38&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0,i:124&tx=91&ty=108
Please share this film and tell FIG to revise the rules to make sure that the best gymnasts in the world are allowed to take part and fight well. If the best are not part of the quest for gold, then all the Olympic medals are tarnished.