A perfect 16ish?
Gymnastics are a must-watch for me during the summer Olympics, but the time difference is killing me. I was able to catch part of men's team finals Monday night, but had to hit the hay before the competition was over.
What's up with the new scoring system? It's really confusing even for the judges. NBC commentators were appalled at how long it took for some scores to be posted Monday night. The judges were able to review portions of the routines in slow motion if they wanted to, while athletes and fans anxiously awaited the outcome. It was kind of ridiculous.
The old system was based on a top score of 10, which was easier to understand. Now, 16 is considered an excellent score. The new system rewards more difficult routines and leaves very little room for error, so I guess it's a positive change. It should equal extra props for the Chinese, Japanese and American teams.
Speaking of commentators, I could do without them. They're criticizing comments are hard to stomach. These world-class athletes work so hard. If I am a young gymnast watching and I hear them say that Kevin Tan's routine was a disaster, I would want to quit right away. Who needs that pressure?
The U.S. men weren't expected to medal and they took bronze. Go team USA!