I'm laid up with a virus at the moment and will update this blog with some 'proper' writing as soon as looking at the computer screen doesn't send shooting pains through my eyes. Oh joy. In the meantime, however, please find below a list of some lovely media coverage about the Russian girls and Mustafina. Sigh.
I have a less lovely question re the code, or rather Rebecca Bross's beam score in the all around. Could any of you clarify you views on this and perhaps enumerate the E score deductions and how the D score would have been affected? How would artistry/posture/line have been taken into account? It just seems to me that 14.1 was rather out of synch with other scores on the apparatus given what seemed to me to be a huge hiatus mid routine that then led to a fall. (Please note: I am a code dissident: I think it tries to formulate the sport out of existence - how can you calculate something that is at least as much art as sport? However, I would be interested to see how this score was justified.)
For those of you with a haughty disdain for such matters, here are a few more bits and bobs of Russian press coverage that are nice to read, and a couple of videos, including this one in German, English and Russian ('what do I have to do to make you smile?' is the final question to Mustafina). With thanks to Nora at the All Around Forum for pointers to some of these.
Interview with Mustafina and Rodienenko: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcEu4qShleQ
Alexandrov: Russian gymnasts - stinkers! http://www.championat.ru/other/news-632596.html
Valentina Rodienenko : We'll appeal! http://www.sovsport.ru/news/text-item/414988
(Seems they are pretty angry about the change in vault valuations)
Aliya - you are now a star! Nice picture of the team with covers of Sovietsky Sport http://www.sovsport.ru/gazeta/article-item/415234
Aliya Mustafina - I can't afford a sip of wine - I'm still a minor http://www.allsportinfo.ru/index.php?id=44717
Iron Aliya http://www.izvestia.ru/sport/article3147641/
Aliya - Superman! Courage, grace and plastic http://www.sovsport.ru/gazeta/article-item/414904
Team arrives at airport http://www.sovsport.ru/video/gallery-item/2123
Another video http://news.sportbox.ru/Vidy_sporta/...rileteli-domoy
Pics http://sportgymrus.ru/contest/3946/4...3/default.aspx
You will find a link to the FIG's newly published book of results at the Olympic Games here . This year, they have broken down the judge's execution scores so you can see exactly how each judge evaluated the gymnasts' performances. It makes for interesting reading - if only I had more time to analyse each judge's marking. A skim reading already highlights multiple inconsistencies in individual judges' marks and makes you wonder why they bother with the jury at all. I have taken the time to look at the reference judges' scores for the top four in the women's all around. The FIG explains here what their role is, and how they are selected. I even used my calculator, which is a risky thing in my hands. My, how I wish we could have seen a similar document for the Tokyo World Championships. I wonder if anyone can explain how, if the FIG's Code of Points is so objective and fair, it is possible to come up with two different results using two differ...
Oh - I should also make reference to the Russian Gymnastics Federation website which is where many of the pointers to articles can be found.
ReplyDeleteAre all Russians whiners? Do they have an insecurity complex? Nyekulterne!
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