I had to grade papers tonight, so naturally I decided to make a montage of Anna Pavlova. It’s my first montage! Seems like a time-consuming activity; not sure it’ll be something I take on as a hobby! Anyway, I used clips of Pavlova from 2000, including her win in EFs at the Junior European Championships of that year, through her injury on the beam at the 2008 DTB Cup. The music, of course, is “Winter” by Bond, her music from the 2004 Olympics and the floor music of hers I’ll probably remember most. And here’s hoping to see her back — healthy — soon!

Here it is, “Anna Pavlova: The Next Russian Princess”:

Incidentally, I used this FX footage from the Canadian Gymnastics Challenge from 2000 only briefly in the montage, but the whole routine is worth a look. It is incredible, tumbling, presentation, dance, everything:

As for the injury, I’ll be reading the Russian news sources and will update if I come across anything new.

The Karolyis win again … and it’s not a medal or a title … it’s a … business award? The Karolyis were awarded the “Houston International Executive of the Year” award by the Kiwanis Club, according to this press release by USA Gymnastics.

Probably the most exciting part is that you can buy tickets to the celebratory luncheon (see press release for details). Not a bad lunch break for Houston natives!

According to the press release, this is the 22nd edition of this award:

The International Executive of the Year recognizes an outstanding business person who has demonstrated the global leadership that continues to make Houston a center of international business.

Certainly the Karolyis have a thriving gymnastics empire down there, but are they really contributing to Houston’s renown as an international center of business?

More interesting is that they were awarded this honor *together* despite the fact that Marta took over the reigns from Bela as national team coordinator nearly eight years ago. (Then again, to be fair, the camp makes its money off of the stuff they do for younger gymnasts, a program in which Bela is intimately involved.) Anyway, this got me thinking about how Marta’s been doing since 2000, and whether it was really important for Bela to go.

I am coincidentally rewatching the 2000 Olympic Trials right now. It’s interesting to hear Al et al. go on and on about how much everyone hates the Trials process, when in fact we are using practically the same system now.

The major differences between 2000 and 2008 are:

• The top two from Trials are “guaranteed” spots on the team
• There is an Olympic training camp following Trials
• The selection committee consists of three, not four, people

Otherwise, Marta and company are free to be just as despotic about their decisions as Bela was. The important differences are not institutional, they are cultural. Firstly, it was widely thought that Bela did not implement his plan in a way that bought the affections of gymnasts’ coaches. Second, and I think more importantly (given that Marta is not exactly the most friendly and conciliatory type either), is that coaches have gotten used to the system. Yes, there was an uproar after Sydney because the system failed to deliver, but then the system itself was not replaced, and the architect of said system was replaced by the person most like him! All of this, to me, is evidence that the uproar against Bela was probably unjustified.

Moreover, the data from the resulting Olympic teams of the three quads we have experienced under this system are illuminating. Of any single Trials between 2000 and 2008, the 2000 all-around results are the best at predicting the ultimate Olympic team. Only one person was skipped in the all-around order and that was (truly sadly) Vanessa Atler. In 2004 you have to go down to 11th to find Annia Hatch and in 2008 you have to go down to 15th to find Bridget Sloan. Now, of course, the fact that specialists were much more required by the 6-3-3 format of Athens and Beijing makes the choice of fewer all-arounders more likely.

On the other hand, this does not deny the fact that ultimately the 2000 Trials probably led to a selection that few would have rejected if Sydney had not gone so poorly. A system based entirely on an athlete’s finish at Trials would have given practically the same team, replacing Dominique Dawes with Atler. It’s not clear what, in their move to remove Bela, coaches would have preferred. In any case, the opaqueness of the process may have irked them, but the outcome was probably no different from what would have resulted from the selection process they would have preferred!

Personally, Bela has always seemed like a better motivator to me. But, well, now he’s got his llamas.

Sydney:

1. Elise Ray
2. Amy Chow
3. Kristen Maloney
4. Morgan White
5. Jamie Dantzscher
6. Vanessa Atler
7. Dominique Dawes

Athens:

1. Courtney Kupets
2. Courtney McCool
3. Carly Patterson
4. Tabitha Yim
5. Allyse Ishino
6. Mohini Bhardwaj
7. Terin Humphrey
8. Tasha Schwikert
9. Carly Janiga
10. Liz Tricase
11. Annia Hatch

Beijing:

1. Shawn Johnson
2. Nastia Liukin
3. Chellsie Memmel
4. Samantha Peszek
5. Ivana Hong
6. Jana Bieger
7. Mattie Larson
8. Chelsea Davis
9. Corrie Lothrop
10. Olivia Courtney
11. Randy Stageberg
12. Alaina Johnson
13. Alicia Sacramone
14. Shayla Worley
15. Bridget Sloan

Octavian Belu and Maria Bitang, the two formidable coaches of the Romanian team through 2005, have apparently gotten married.

THEN: Belu and Bitang at the 2004 Olympics

I think this is great/hilarious.  It initially came out as a rumor in a tabloid in Romania, but now some legit news sources are covering it, so I think it’s actually true.  See for instance here.

NOW: Belu and Bitang with their kids (from previous marriages)

By the way, don’t their kids look FUN?

Japanese Olympic 「ハンマー投げ」 (Hammer Throw) athlete, 室伏広治 (Kouji Murofushi) came in fifth place at the 2008 北京オリンピック (Beijing Olympics)…but the silver and bronze medalists, both from Belarus, have tested positive for doping violations and may be stripped of their Olympic medals.

If that happens, 室伏広治 (Kouji Murofushi) will get the bronze medal.

This will be the second time that this has happened to him. In the 2004 Olympics, 室伏広治 (Kouji Murofushi) won the silver Hammer Throw medal…but the Hungarian who won the gold was stripped of his medal for a doping violation, and the gold went to 室伏広治 (Kouji Murofushi).

I am less than enthused by the limited coverage of the Olympics in Peru. What’s the point of having cable down here if the only channel of Olympic coverage I get is a local antennae station?

In the U.S. I was spoiled enough to watch the Olympics on several channels and choose the sports that I wanted to watch.

It hasn’t been much fun MISSING the Olympics from the Opening Ceremony to the Sporting Events and to what will be the final Closing Ceremony.

Fortunately, today I was privileged enough to see a somewhat interesting event…Gymnastics Trampoline. For the 10 minutes that I watched it I was able to witness some very talented athletes that made twisting, flipping and twirling look like second nature and some nervous athletes (*cough*”Portugal”*cough*) just eat it.

The most entertaining part of this event wasn’t so much the athletes, but rather the judges. Who knew that judges could be so entertaining?! I’m not talking about scandalous scoring, no, no, that is reserved for the Winter Olympics, but just watching their heads bob up and down, up and down, up and down, tracking the athletes was the entertaining bit.

(You know, the same kind of shameless pleasure that you get when you pretend like you’re going to throw a ball or a stick for your dog to fetch.)

Since Youtube is cracking down on “Copyrighted” material, meaning 2008 Olympic footage is a no-go, I decided to share what Youtube videos I could scrounge up to share a little bit of the fun with you.

(That is if you haven’t been watching the Olympics on the 5 channels of Olympic coverage that they have in the States.)

And Parents, if your kids like jumping around on the trampoline like monkeys, let them. It may just garner them an Olympic Medal one day. Either that or they’ll have a great career with La Tarumba.

The Glory.

The Funny Horror Stories.

An Elephant?

And Something You Shouldn’t Try at Home.

*Disclaimer: God forbid I should be “infringing” on any copyrights, so click on the video, icon or photo for the source credit.

For anyone who remains unconvinced that Larry Langford’s proposal for Birmingham to make a bid for the 2020 Olympic Games is the Worst. Idea. Ever., please see the following article:

As Olympic glow fades, Athens questions $15 billion cost

“I think that during the Olympics there was a good feeling,” says Andreas Efthimiou, the deputy mayor of the Athens suburb where the Faliro Bay Olympic Complex is located. “But after the Olympics, I see that nothing has been done, we have lost the chance to change the face of the city.”

Many of the venues are still vacant four years later, promised parks never materialized, and new transportation infrastructure has caused problems like flooding and increased traffic, says Mr. Efthimiou. Citizens question the event’s $15 billion price tag – most of it paid for by the state.

“They’ve abandoned the development,” says a dismayed Stelious Thanelas, a pensioner who lives near the Faliro facility. “I used to think [the Olympics] were worth it. Now I don’t. The venues aren’t being used and nothing has been done.”

And the money quote (emphasis mine):

Mr. Kartalis thinks Beijing and London, which will host the 2012 summer Olympics, will have an easier time putting their facilities to good use. Athens is home to just 4 million people, compared with Beijing’s 17 million and London’s 12 million.

So. Athens has 4 million people, and now laments that it ever hosted the Olympics. How many people does Birmingham have, you ask? 229,424, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2006 estimate. But, you say, that only includes people inside the city limits. The Olypmics would be a regional affair, so we should count the entire Birmingham-Hoover-Cullman, AL CSA (combined statistical area), also known as Greater Birmingham. What is the population of that area? 1,188,764, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2007 estimate.

Nice. An entire eight county area surrounding Birmingham has 1.2 million people, compared to Athens’ 4 million. And Athens now believes it was too small for the Olympics.

Sure, Larry. Go for it, you unbelievable fruitcake.

Photo used under a Creative Commons license from klmonty.

28 days until the Olympics. I can hardly believe that I have waited for four years for this, and it is hardly a month away.

Although I will arrange everything so that I don’t miss a single, solitary second of Women’s or Men’s Gymnastics, it is about more than that to me. Every free moment I have, I will be glued to the television set.

The Olympics for me, represent what is seemingly lost these days in life; absolute true beauty. There is nothing more exciting to me than watch the best moments of people’s lives. And I will cry, cry, cry, as I watch these events and moments unfold because it is simply too perfect. It’s so beautiful that my heart breaks wide open for these people all over the world.

So while watching the “Beijing Olympics” section ON DEMAND on Comcast Cable I stumbled upon “The Top 5 Heartbreaks.” And here is what I saw, half asleep at 2am that made me pour out buckets of tears. What gets me so excited for August 8th to 24th.

In the 1992 Barcelona Games, British runner Derek Redmond competes in the semi-finals for the 400m race. Plagued by injuries throughout his career, Redmond goes down with a leg injury. (He had posted the best time during the first round, and won the quarter-finals). He gets up, pushing people away and hobbling to finish the race. He is joined by his father who holds on to him, as Redmond sobs into his shoulder.

Runner Hicham El Geurrouj of Morocco was one of the best of the best at the 1500 meters. At the 1996 Atlanta Games, a fall took him out of the race. Four years later at the Sydney Games, he is beat last second by Kenyan Noah Ngeny. For the 2004 Athens Games, El Geurrouj was not expected to be contending for the gold. And at the last moment he narrowly wins the gold over Kenyan Bernard Lagat (who won the bronze in Sydney) who himself gets down onto his hands and knees and cries with El Geurrouj. There is nothing like seeing victory, but it makes it ten times better for me to see those from other countries who just miss out on their dream to be so happy for the one who did win. The world lacks that so much today. Human beings are so selfish and cruel to one another, and the Olympics demonstrate the very best sides of people.

So with that said, I realize I have a small fear that has been building for these Olympic Games. I am afraid of what kind of scandal or controversy can ruin it for me or more importantly, the athletes. I have blogged about this before, but I am getting increasingly worried about the age debate over gymnast He Kexin. Because at this point, I cannot believe what a wide consensus the world of gymnastics has over her being underage. I can’t believe the major publications and whatnot that state this.

The Olympics are the only time gymnastics is a headlining sport. And there has been a major controversy every year as far as I can remember. Let’s say hypothetically that China wins team gold, and He wins the uneven bars gold. Suddenly, there is a major news break that discovers that He is underage. Major headlines. They decide to strip China of team gold, and He of uneven bar gold. Major, major headlines. Better TV ratings.

My point is, if this happens I will lose faith in humanity. A part of me will truly die. The only reason I say this is a possibility is because it is so widely believed. And the fact that event finals have been split in 3 days in an odd order (which is there to increase ratings; an extra night of gymnastics) make me wonder what else they would do to increase ratings. IF there are underage gymnasts on the Chinese team, there is proof now. Do something now, don’t wait until the Games. Don’t ruin the moments, people’s lives, or my faith. Don’t “fix” it.  Don’t fix destiny.  Don’t make destroy anything else with Politics.