[stewtheking]

Stryde Hax: Hack the Olympics!

This seems pretty conclusive.

Whether you disagree with the rules being as they are or not, the rules are the rules. Like it or lump it... Or cheat, whatever...

 

[DrBenway]

Post deleted by poster, who should have known better. My apologies to anyone who read what I wrote.

 

[bonkon]

I don't get the rules, you have the 14 year old british diver making headlines when he was competing because of his young age. Why is it allowed in diving and not in gymnastics?

Concerning Phelps finish I think his oppenent touched the block first but what counts in swimming is to apply a certain pressure to register it. Maybe he touched it first with the edge of his fingers but Phelps "registered" it first by applying enough pressure to do so. So it is a question of rules I guess. None the less he is still a great athlete.

But I completely agree with NBCs influence in the olympics, sponsors having such powers is just not right. A lot of the swimming finals started at 9-10 AM local time, that is just not right. The only reason they do so is because of prime time time slot in the US, thus NBCs influence for showcasting Phelps. The swimmers have to wake up at 3-4 AM to condition their body for high performance. A lot of swimmers complained about this, they have to wake up their muscles, warm them up slowly, eat and digest and so on.

I have to say that NBC and the US olympic officials (not athletes) sound more and more like bad loosers. They can not stop complaining starting from the gymnasts age, the medal count that only the total matters not the gold, Usain Bolts and the Jamaicans performance... Have you forgotten the US history of steroids? One of the reason the Jamaicans look so good is that the a lot of US sprinters are involved in the steroids/Balco scandal and the drug tests are getting much better. I can't remember of Jamaican athletes ever get involved in steroids.

 

[kg21]

I am positive the chinese female gymnasts didn't meet the age requirement but I don't think the US should have whined about it, a loss is a loss. It doesn't matter if they are kids, if the kids outperform you. Part of the reason for the age requirement is that it is an immense strain on the gymnasts bodies, and it can mess up the development of kids that isn't a moral issue it is true, however I think it should be up to the participants to decide if it's worth it I agree there should be no age limit.

 

[Suntory_Times]

Quote:

Originally Posted by r3cc0s /img/forum/go_quote.gif Out of curiosity how is the age "limit" in this case unfair?

It would be unfair in the sense that countries who followed the rules may very well of had gymnasts who where at this level but where to young. Hence the problem, cheating is cheating no matter which way you look at it. Now if she is younger, I would be kind of disguisted, if not, all is okay.

 

[marvin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kg21 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I am positive the chinese female gymnasts didn't meet the age requirement but I don't think the US should have whined about it, a loss is a loss. It doesn't matter if they are kids, if the kids outperform you. Part of the reason for the age requirement is that it is an immense strain on the gymnasts bodies, and it can mess up the development of kids that isn't a moral issue it is true, however I think it should be up to the participants to decide if it's worth it I agree there should be no age limit.

That argument, while it's been made, really makes no sense. All of the gymnasts at the Olympic level start training and competing at a very young age. The stresses on their bodies will still be there even if they don't compete in the Olympics. The stress of competition argument doesn't make much sense either. I'm not sure that a 15 y.o. feels any less stress than a 16 y.o. in a similar situation.

Really, the only reason I can see for the age limitation is that prepubescent girls aren't nearly as marketable as girls in their late teens-early twenties.

 

[zotjen]

Quote:

Does it really matter or affect anybody? How does it affect the other gymnasts? Who's it hurt?

It hurts and affects people who play fair and abide by the rules.

 

[orkney]

As Zotjen suggests, I think it's more basic than that. 16 year-olds are considered to be young adults (and in many countries are treated as such under the law). Under 16 means a whole raft of reduced privileges/ greater protections, depending on how you read it. You're a child. And children don't get to compete in the Olympics (or get married, or buy smokes or booze, or take out mortages, etc).*

But it doesn't matter, really, what the reasons are for the rule. The rule is in place for everybody, and entering a team in -- let alone hosting -- the Olympics means you've agreed to abide by the rules as a nation. Letting underage competitors onto your team is a breach of the rules and ought to be dealt with in the same way as doping violations, etc. Whatever, this is going to be embarrassing, if true.

o

* EDIT: I stand corrected on this one (see posts below). The Olympics, clearly, is lousy with kids.

 

[soundboy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by oicdn /img/forum/go_quote.gif Who's it hurt? Their ego is all, seeing as how they're getting beat by people much younger with less experience. The only people who complain, are the people who are getting beat...at least, that's how it normally is.

Mr. "Loud Mouth" Bella Karolyi certainly had no problem coaching a 14 year old Nadia Comaneci, or "half woman" as he called them, to winning Olympic gold medals.

 

[soundboy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by orkney /img/forum/go_quote.gif And children don't get to compete in the Olympics (or get married, or buy smokes or booze, or take out mortages, etc). But it doesn't matter, really, what the reasons are for the rule. The rule is in place for everybody, and entering a team in -- let alone hosting -- the Olympics means you've agreed to abide by the rules as a nation. Letting underage competitors onto your team is a breach of the rules and ought to be dealt with in the same way as doping violations, etc. Whatever, this is going to be embarrassing, if true.

Totally agree about following the rules, but disagree about a child being in the Olympics. The US had no problem allowing a 13 year old Michelle Kwan to be the alternate at the '94 Winter Olympics.

 

[LocoTracks]

Different sports have different age limits.

 

[LocoTracks]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RobR /img/forum/go_quote.gif and equally intriguing, did Phelps really win 8 gold medals? click

As for this website, this is a total joke. It conveniently ignores the underwater camera's that, when watched in slow motion) clearly shows Phelps's fingers tightening from the impact of hitting the wall before Cavic's.

It also assumes the human eye can clearly see how close that 100th of a second was, and the author doesn't seem to realize that .01 victories happen all the time in swimming. In fact it happened in the same exact race for the bronze medal.

 

[gpalmer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kirosia /img/forum/go_quote.gif I know 20yr old Asian women who look 12.

Hmmm, I'm guessing that's WHY you know them...

 

[gpalmer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LocoTracks /img/forum/go_quote.gif As for this website, this is a total joke. It conveniently ignores the underwater camera's that, when watched in slow motion) clearly shows Phelps's fingers tightening from the impact of hitting the wall before Cavic's. It also assumes the human eye can clearly see how close that 100th of a second was, and the author doesn't seem to realize that .01 victories happen all the time in swimming. In fact it happened in the same exact race for the bronze medal.

Apparently they had a camera with 1/10,000th of a second resolution there which is what was reviewed when the protest was lodged.

 

[pcf]

16 hasn't always been the age limit for gymnastics. A few years ago it was
14. At the moment as far as I know only Gymnastics(16), Fencing (13),
Eguestrain (18) have age limits. Children do get to compete in the Olympics.
Amanda Beard won Gold in 1996 for USA when she was 14.

-Paul