GYMN-L Digest - 17 Jun 1996 to 18 Jun 1996

There are 2 messages totalling 203 lines in this issue.

Topics of the day:

1. GYMN-L Digest - 15 Jun 1996 to 16 Jun 1996(Susanna Le & Claire Cribbs)
2. The Top 10 List

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Date: Tue, 18 Jun 1996 14:42:54 +1000
From: ***@ENTERNET.COM.AU
Subject: Re: GYMN-L Digest - 15 Jun 1996 to 16 Jun 1996(Susanna & Claire)

I'm replying to the question asked on the 16th June about Susanna and
Claire where abouts. Susanna retired last year (I think just after
nationals), and Claire retired after nationals this year. I agree with you
that Zeena deserved a position in the squad. The selection of the team at
the momment is very disappointing and if the team collapses in Atlanta you
can put it down to Ju Ping's favouratism.
>------------------------------
>
>Date: Sun, 16 Jun 1996 05:04:09 GMT
>From: ***@PIPELINE.COM>
>Subject: women's euro's & trials petitioning
>
>Must take the time to back up"underdog"-his frustration level is certainly
>understandable. Tim, I feel your point about the"complete" rules is valid,
>but the problem is that the federation and the media went to great pains to
>advertise that the trials were "winner take all", conveniently leaving out
>the part about " extraordinary circumstances". Remember Dan O'Brian? World
>champion in the decathlon. Reebok spent a lot of money on him and Dan
>Johnson, but only one of them went to Barcelona, and he didn't win either.
>Personally, I would be in favor of Shannon's petition, but why couldn't
>they just have been upfront about the whole business from the beginning? If
>Moceanu is only suffering from overtraining injuries, she should be at
>trials. But fair play by the rules seems to be one of the things the
>federation is incapable of doing(anyone care to email Kim Kelly and get her
>opinion)?
>
>Women's Euros looked like a great meet, and I cannot praise the Goddess
>loud enough. Not only was it the hardest beam set she's ever done, it was
>one of the best, and the choreography BLEW me away. Lilia is a real
>fighter, and the fouettes on floor were incredible! I've been waiting so
>long for an artistic girl to do that. Khorkina has probably now set a
>record for the most bar combos in a career, and I think she will go over
>big in AA in Atlanta. AA will be a MAJOR dogfight.
>
>Regards,
>
>Eric
>
>love that bogi!
>
>------------------------------
>
>Date: Sun, 16 Jun 1996 00:26:23 -0700
>From: ***@VCN.BC.CA>
>Subject: Look alike
>
>On Sun, 16 Jun 1996, Tara - wrote:
>
>> Jenny Smith for the Tatiana Lyssenko lookalike award...
>
>Hi! Everyone,
>
>I also have some look alike to add to this:
>Simona Amanar (Romania) - Gail Kachura (U.S. Jr)
>Kerri Strug (U.S.) - Ludivine Furnon (France)
>Marlene Lavoire (Canada) - Michelle Campi (Former U.S. now U of Washington)
>
>On to a different topic for Canadian Gymner, did anyone record the
>Canadian Nationals on Sat? Could someone please make me a copy? I was
>racing at a regatta today, big oops by the time I realize. Please e-mail me
>and we can work out the detail, thanks.
>
>Go! Amanda! Go! Sonics!
>
>------------------------------
>
>Date: Sun, 16 Jun 1996 04:06:49 -0400
>From: ***@MAGNUS.ACS.OHIO-STATE.EDU>
>Subject: petitioning/politics
>
>I, too, am annoyed at this "sudden" possibility of being able to petition
>directly onto the Olympic team when USAG repeatedly assured everyone it would
>never happen again. Seems to me that they're basically trying to hand-pick the
>team without really admitting it. I can understand their "motivation" in a way:
>the Olympics are in the US and they want to field the best team possible, or,
>quite frankly, a team that's most likely to medal. But it's still completely
>unfair. What has me a bit mystified, though, is that they're willing to bend
>all the rules for the girls but NOT for the men. I'm thinking particularly of
>Bill Roth. There is no question in my mind that he would have been a great
>asset to the US men's team, especially on high bar. And with the 7-6-5 rule in
>effect, it would make even more sense to have him on team. It doesn't matter
>that pommels is a weak (even disastrous) event for him - the coaches simply
>could have had him sit out that event. If USAG wants to field the best men's
>team it could, Bill Roth should be on it. How many other US guys are capable of
>scoring 9.8 or better on high bar? He could have added several tenths to the
>team total.
> But being somewhat cynical, I think the reason the girls are getting
>special treatment and the guys aren't is that the girls are in contention for a
>team medal whereas the guys really aren't. So USAG will abide by all the rules
>of fair sportsmanship with the men's team, but with the women - well, the
>priority here seems to be to win a medal at all costs, even at the expense of
>keeping a girl (or girls...) off the team even if they legitimately qualify.
>This happened at 1991 Worlds (ask Sandy Woolsey), the 1992 Olympics (Kim Kelly,
>Amanda Borden), and it seems to be happening again. Seems the USAG has turned
>into the Soviet Union of the 1980s and 1992 in the sense of "annointing"
>certain athletes and making darn sure they get to compete even if they make
>mistakes. At '85 Europeans, the Soviets made it clear that they intended
>Shushunova and Omelianchik to be their next stars. Then both girls failed to
>qualify for the AA in Montreal. But Mostepanova and Baraksanova conveniently
>got "injured," allowing Yelena and Oksana to advance to the AA. Fast forward to
>1992, where Gutsu was "annointed" at Europeans. Then she made a mistake at the
>Olympics and didn't make AA. Suddenly Galiyeva is injured. The USSR was
>criticized widely and loudly for this kind of thing, but it's not terribly
>different from what the USAG seems to be doing now. Miller and Moceanu have
>been "annointed" and I don't think USAG wants to run the risk of some fluke
>thing happening at Trials that result in these two not qualifying. They kind of
>painted themselves into a corner by saying Trials would count 100%, because
>that means that one fall could put a girl off the team, even our best girl. So
>now they're scrambling for some way to end up with the team they want. In my
>opinion, if they're going to hand-pick the team, they should have the guts and
>honesty to say that this is what they're doing instead of misleading the public
>and giving false hopes to the "unannointed" gymnasts who are working so hard
>for something that's not going to happen because the powers-that-be have
>decided they have the "wrong" body type or something (that, I believe, is why
>Sandy Woolsey was dropped from the 1991 World Team - despite the fact that she
>placed *2nd* at US Nationals!). Plus, if the girls' team is going to be
>hand-picked, why not the men too? I suspect that if the US men had been placing
>2nd or 3rd as a team at the last two Worlds and the Barcelona Olympics, USAG
>would have found a way to put Bill Roth on the team. I just think it's very sad
>that back in the days when the US girls were NOT medal contenders, the team
>selection procedures seemed extremely fair. Like they are for the men right
>now. But our girls' success has only led to all sorts of manipulations,
>maneuvering, corruption, lying and what have you. It's no wonder there seems to
>be such a lack of comraderie among the girls on the teams we eventually do
>field. The whole system can't help but create bitterness and resentment. The
>USAG seems to have forgotten what the spirit of the Olympics is all about...
>
>Beth
>
>------------------------------
>
>End of GYMN-L Digest - 15 Jun 1996 to 16 Jun 1996
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>
>

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Date: Tue, 18 Jun 1996 00:59:28 -0400
From: ***@AIX2.UOTTAWA.CA
Subject: Re: The Top 10 List

Just for fun now, I'm gonna try and compile my list of the ten
best AA gymnasts in the world, objectively-speaking. This is how the
Olympic competition should turn out, all things being equal, assuming
that no one falls (as if!) or is competing with a broken leg (who
knows - Gina?). I'm doing my best not to be geographically-prejudiced or
anything, but I'm sure some of you will totally disagree...

And the drum roll please..............


1. Mo Huilan (CHN) - stop the phone calls, we have a winner, ladies and
gentlemen. Bar none, no one can touch her, simply the best. Does a DOUBLE
twisting Yurchenko...and vault is probably her *weakest* event.

2. Svetlana Khorkina (RUS) - the Diva of the original skills. Unlike 57
others, she reads between the Code's lines, and the judges adore her.

3. Dina Kochetkova (RUS) - she has it all: style, grace and a lot of
power. Gets so much hangtime, we oughta call her the Michael Jordan of
gymnastics. Weak vault, though.

4. Lilia Podkopayeva (UKR) - again, a complete package, and super
tumbling combined with choreography (got that, Romanians?). Only problem
is, she can't do a proper Gienger to save her life.

5. Simona Amanar (ROM) - this hyper little girl has by far the
best tumbling and vaults around, with super difficulty, but the judges
hate her dance (or lack thereof). Beam needs much work, too.

6. Lavinia Milosovici (ROM) - steady, consistent, just enough difficulty.
She's the one person you're never afraid is gonna go splat on the beam,
ever. But she's getting way tentative in her *old age*.

7. Yelena Piskun (BLR) - this girl is like the female equivalent of
Aleksei Voropayev: super hard routines, atleast on paper, but kinda rough
around the edges. Almost no grace, but she sure can tumble and swing.

8. Dominique Dawes (USA) - has spectacular optionals everywhere, but weak
nerves, and a tendency to choke in big meets. Also, the cool 2nd tumbling
pass is history now.

9. Gina Gogean (ROM) - when she's on, she's terrific, but again, has
suffered many big breaks of late (Brisbane, Sabae, Birmingham), and that
bars routine, quite frankly, STINKS!

10. Svetlana Boginskaya (BLR) - she came back in a big way and upgraded
her difficulty since her youth, but Sveta still can't compete with the
others if they're on.


N.B. As for Shannon Miller, obviously she's almost assured of being in
the top 10 in the AA in Atlanta, but in terms of skills, would fall to
about 11th or 12th, even if she hits. Just MHO.

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End of GYMN-L Digest - 17 Jun 1996 to 18 Jun 1996
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