GYMN-L Digest - 8 Jun 1996 to 9 Jun 1996

There are 12 messages totalling 331 lines in this issue.

Topics of the day:

  1. Nationals (2)
  2. Bye ya'll!
  3. Moceanu (don't read if you don't know results yet)
  4. Kris Burley
  5. Copies of the nationals (2)
  6. US Natls: intense gymnasts?  Or NBC commentary? (long)
  7. Judging question (Nationals spoiler)
  8. NBC broadcast of US NATIONALS.
  9. RSG Corbeil Intl.
 10. Commercials

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Date:    Sat, 8 Jun 1996 20:34:22 -0400
From:    ***@AOL.COM
Subject: Re: Nationals

Joy writes, "Does anyone else see a problem with the US girls/women?  I just
finished watch-
ing nat'ls on tv, and while I know NBC can make anything seem dramatic, but I
saw a group of burnt-out girls almost near breakdowns. "

While I was watching the competition, I thought the same thing. Though, I
think part of the gymnasts' appearance and attiutude has to do with Nationals
just being one meet on the way to getting to Atlanta. Moceanu made a
reference to this meet as being a warm up to Trials during her interview and
Miller and Phelps didn't seem particulary excited about their standings,
either. The competition almost seemed like podium training or a check-in on
the way to the Trials and Olympics to see where everyone was at. It really
lacked much excitement. (I mean the competition. I thought the coverage was
fantastic. I loved all the routines they showed.) Also, I think many of the
gymnasts have yet to perform their upgraded routines, with the exception of
Miller.
While the gymnasts did seem tired, they also didn't seem too invested in this
competition. It seemed like a practice session, so perhaps that's why the
gymnasts seemed so worn out.

LeeAnn

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Date:    Sat, 8 Jun 1996 20:42:37 -0400
From:    ***@GNATNET.NET
Subject: Bye ya'll!

Just wanted to say goodbye for the summer! I'm off to lifeguard at a
summer camp and then......... work at the Olympics!  I'm volunteering as
SECURITY in the Georgia Dome. *grin* Don't know how they picked me for
that particular job.  See ya'll in August!!
Kerry

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Date:    Sat, 8 Jun 1996 18:43:03 -0600
From:    ***@SUPERNET.AB.CA
Subject: Re: Moceanu (don't read if you don't know results yet)

I have a few comments about the US Nationals.  I think that Shannon really
did great!  I think she is stronger then ever, other than he beam routine, I
saw style, class, and great difficulty.  I think that no one should count
her out.  I think everyone else is over rating Dom M.

As Christopher pointed out, Phelps is making a quiet rise to the top.  Did
anyone think that just maybe, she may do the same as Shannon in 92?

 >I mean Shannon fell  and still beat Moceanu (while Phelps continues her
quiet rise to the
>top),

Way to go Shannon!

Kel
 

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Date:    Sat, 8 Jun 1996 18:56:01 -0600
From:    ***@SUPERNET.AB.CA
Subject: Re: Nationals

I just want to make another point about "The Burnt-out Gymnasts".  I
remember that when the 92 Nationals and trials were on, I think that at
least 4 falls occured in the trials and many big breaks.  I remember John
Tesh, saying that the Balance beam was a struggle for many gymnasts.  Kim Z
had that problem on beam too, she had a big break.  They also said how
tought the time was trying to get onto the Olympics.  I believe that it is
almost as exciting and serious as getting a big job.

The olympics are most everyone's dream...and they want to do well.  So I
figure that things are as they would naturally be, and I know that the
coaches are doing something to ease the tension for the girls.

Kel

>"Does anyone else see a problem with the US girls/women?  I just finished
watch-
>ing nat'ls on tv, and while I know NBC can make anything seem dramatic, but I
>saw a group of burnt-out girls almost near breakdowns. "

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Date:    Sat, 8 Jun 1996 22:20:33 -0400
From:    ***@CAPITALNET.COM
Subject: Kris Burley

Canada's Kris Burley is featured in the May 13, 1996 issue of Maclean's,
Canada's newsmagazine, in a special Olympic report.  I finally found the
website for this article & wish to share it with you:

http://www.canoe.ca/macleans/newsroom/spc3051396.html

Copies of this issue may be found in better doctors' offices nationwide
(that's where I got mine) as well as your local (and even the Burlington,
MA) public library!


At last week's Canadian National Championships, Kris was named Gymnastics
Canada Gymnastique's Athlete of the Year and will represent Canada along
with Richard Ikeda and Alan Nolet at this summer's Olympic Games.

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Date:    Sat, 8 Jun 1996 23:26:02 -0400
From:    ***@INETNOW.NET
Subject: Copies of the nationals

No, I am not selling tapes of the 1996 nationals that was broadcast this
Saturday. :) In fact, I was wondering if anybody taped it. I hope so, since
I wasn't able to tape it. By the time I realized my VCR was off, it was too
late.

If anybody would like to sell me a copy of the nationals that was broadcast
this Saturday on NBC, I would be more than happy to talk with you. And I
might add, extremely grateful. E-mail me and we will get together.

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Date:    Sat, 8 Jun 1996 22:41:05 -0500
From:    ***@SCOTT.NET
Subject: Re: Copies of the nationals

>No, I am not selling tapes of the 1996 nationals that was broadcast this
>Saturday. :) In fact, I was wondering if anybody taped it. I hope so, since
>I wasn't able to tape it. By the time I realized my VCR was off, it was too
>late.
>
>If anybody would like to sell me a copy of the nationals that was broadcast
>this Saturday on NBC, I would be more than happy to talk with you. And I
>might add, extremely grateful. E-mail me and we will get together.
>
>
I won't sell you a copy but I would be more than happy to make you a copy of
my copy if you would like.  It is definately one to save!

Michele

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Date:    Sun, 9 Jun 1996 00:17:59 -0400
From:    ***@EROLS.COM
Subject: US Natls: intense gymnasts?  Or NBC commentary? (long)

A couple of people commented that the gymnasts whose routines were
televised today looked too intense, or grim.  I thought they looked fine --
intense, yes -- Amanda Borden saying to herself come on, come on, come on
before her beam routine, for example, and concentrating instead of smiling
when John Tesh threw in a Pepsodent comment (his transition from Powell (just
got the braces off) to Borden).  But it didn't seem bothersome to me (well,
maybe Jennie Thompson looked a bit serious, but she's had a tough year and is
not yet back enough that she can afford mistakes, so she has reason; and she
wasn't the norm.).  In particular, I thought the receptions of teammates and
coaches were convincingly warm (with the significant exception of Bela laying
into Moceanu a little over her bars routine) and that just about everybody
looked pretty relaxed except when in the process of focusing for the next
routine or squeezing in their last practices before the competition.

However, I've already watched some of my tape again, and while the Tesh
commentary slid off me the first time, some of it really started to bother me
on repetition, and I think it may have been additional fuel for some of the
perceptions of excess intensity.  I.e., Dom. Dawes had a terrible morning
practice and was upset about that and they could not shut up about this
(perfectly reasonable story, but way too much emphasis on tears); Amanda
Borden did not enjoy talking to Tesh (tears again; interview not shown, but
referred to); Jaycie Phelps and her family have made so many sacrifices, etc.
. . . the usual stuff.  Those of you who may remember my 1995 comments on
Joan Ryan's book know that I'm not a pollyanna about this stuff -- but I
think this was a classic example of looking for the ugly side and reporting
it as the norm, choosing photos to match, and thereby perpetuating
misimpressions.

It's an Olympic year, this is a day that really counts, and adrenalin levels
are high and emotions unusually volatile.  In some cases, that may mean
something is wrong -- but it's not as though we don't see emotional reactions
from other athletes in clutch situations, or that we should expect that those
giving it everything they've got will necessary have much left over.  Anyway,
I hope this isn't how the entire Olympics will be covered . . . .

All of this is limited, of course, by what I saw on tv:  who knows what the
downtime looked like (which, if too intense, may have influenced the
commentators), or how the gymnasts who weren't shown handled the occasion.

Separate point: the hall was surprisingly empty.  Does this mean there may
still be plenty of trials tickets left?

--Ann

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Date:    Sat, 8 Jun 1996 21:35:19 -0700
From:    ***@ASU.EDU
Subject: Judging question (Nationals spoiler)

I had to go to a wedding this afternoon, so I missed the last half of
nationals.  My question is, does anyone else think a 9.3 was a little
high for Shannon's beam routine?  She had a couple wobbles on her dive
1/4 to handstand, and she also had a slight balance break before her
fall, and a tiny step on her landing.  And was it close enough with
Phelps that an extra .1 deduction would have mattered?

Congratulations to Shannon for nailing her other events.  The thing I
noticed the most about her on floor is that she looks like a young woman
now.  She really has a nice style of choreography. And to add a
2-layout at 19 is amazing.

Can't wait till I can check the tape tomorrow.

Leslie

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Date:    Sun, 9 Jun 1996 01:29:45 -0400
From:    ***@VAXC.HOFSTRA.EDU
Subject: Re: NBC broadcast of US NATIONALS.

I have a question.  while I was very happy with the broadcast as well as
the results, I am very disturbed at nbc.  How about showing us the event
finals?
I think that if dwes could just manage to qualify for the AA, she will be
the favorite to win.  her optionals ROCK
I was very dissapointed in moceanu.  I thought bela was going to shelter
her from the same stuff that  kim went through?
It was very refreshing to see the non flamboyant gymnasts such as struf,
borden, powell, and phelps go about there business and do so well.
Alisa

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Date:    Sat, 8 Jun 1996 21:30:14 +0000
From:    ***@ALOHA.NET
Subject: RSG Corbeil Intl.

Well folks, its a little bit late but here it is:

1996 Corbeil Intl.(France)

All Around

1.  Serebrianskaya UKR 39.850
2.  Vitrichenko UKR 39.825
3.  Batyrchina RUS 39.80
3.  Petrova BUL 39.80(Yes folks, you are not dreaming.  SHE's
BACK!!!)
5.  Zaripova RUS 39.650
6.  Orgrizko BLR 39.537
7.  Popova, Diana BUL 39.275
8.  Lipkovskaia, Natalia RUS 39.250
9.  Pavlina, Evgenia BLR 39.00
10.  Serrano, Eva FRA 38.950
11.  Salapatiyska, Stela BUL 38.90
12.  Cid Tostado, Almudena ESP 38.875

No sign of Lukyanenko.  Vitrichenko led prelims with a perfect 40
with Zaripova second and Serebrianskaya in 3rd.  Petrova was tied for
sixth with teammate Popova.  She had 3 10's and a 9.7(clubs) going
into finals.

For US fans, Lauri Illy was 34th with a 37.650.  Liriel Higa was 66th
with a 35.90.  For those of you who attended the San Francisco Invite
last February,  the gymnast who won juniors there Assel Moustafina
from Kazakhstan had a disappointing performance in Corbeil-64th with
a total score of 35.975.

Looking forward to the 1996 Budapest Worlds.

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Date:    Sun, 9 Jun 1996 02:16:17 -0700
From:    ***@VCN.BC.CA
Subject: Commercials

Hi! All,

Did anyone notice that during the broadcast of the National, there was
quite a bit of commercial?  At one point I was like, hey! that was only 2
routine and they are already going on commercial, I probably could of
cook up a fancy lunch with all those breaks.  Although I did like one of
the commercial, for all those GYMNer outside of U.S. here is what the
commercial was.  They show this dad driving down the road, with car full
of young kids, they were listening to a broadcast of a gym meet on the
car stereo.  Everything was fine and sweet, until they went into tunnel,
which they had to stop because of construction inside and of course they
lost the signal, so now this nice dad sudden got a car full of kids
whinning because they want to listen to the meet.  Dad quickly slams the
gear into reverse, back the car out of the tunnel, the signal is back,
the kids are cheering, but he realize there is a officer sitting on his
motocycle on the shoulder, waving at him.  He drop his head down, the
horn went off and that's the end, a coca-cola sign come on with the tune
"always coca-cola".  The end.  I thought that was really funny.

Go! Sonics! and Amanda! (My favorite gymnast!)
Thomas

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End of GYMN-L Digest - 8 Jun 1996 to 9 Jun 1996
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