[HPFGU-OTChatter] Re: Gymnastics

[Judi Eathorne-Gould]

>Man, does that sport have a lot of weird rules or what?  China
>finished fourth, and the difference was a penalty they were
>assessed.  Apparently, you can stretch and warm up next to the
>apparatus when you're next up.  Well, two Chinese girls were kind of
>going through their routine instead of stretching -- just doing
>handstands and flips and going over things mentally.


You can also loose that for pulling at your leotard before leaving the 
floor (I say after my daughter's gymnastics competition this weekend - she 
knows not to tug at her leotard so who knows WHY she did it!!!). Oh you can 
also loose .2 (on each apparatus for having visible tatoos!) The going 
through the routine thing - each competitor gets time before the judged bit 
to practice - I think the problem [and this is just guessing cause stupid 
New Zealand television does not show ANY of the worlds - and my 8 year old 
twins who both do gymnastics would love to see some top class gymnasts. The 
twins are a boy and a girl so would like to see both genders. My son has 
had three coaching sessions with the NZ mens team coach but he has never 
seen any top male gymnasts - either on TV or in person so has no idea of 
what he could be capable of if he sticks with it] is it can be distracting 
to the competitor actually on the podium to see another person doing 
somersaults out of the corner of the eye - though they should be focused 
enough to put it out of their heads.

>Cindy -- wondering why the vaulting horse is that weird flat shape
>now


Safer. The padded bit extends down the front so those poor gymnasts who 
misjudge their run up or jump off the beep board have padding when they 
crash into the vault.




Judi Eathorne-Gould                     ph 479 8837 Fax 479 5070
University of Otago Law Library
Box 56
Dunedin
New Zealand

Alternative e-mail address  serials.law at library.otago.ac.nz

Washing one's hands of the conflict between the powerful and the powerless
means to side with the powerful, not to be neutral.

-Paulo Freire, educator
(1921-1997)