2008 Olympics: Women’s All Around
So it seems like we all pretty much knew that the two American women would take the gold & silver if they both hit. And I knew that no matter which one ended up on top, I would feel pretty sad for the one that took the silver. Not that silver is bad but either one of them could have wound up on top of the medal stand and both were equally well-prepared and deserving of that top spot. And I did feel bad for Shawn. I was thrilled to see Nastia pull through with 4 incredible routines to take the title, but it was hard to watch Shawn come up just a bit short. Can’t be an easy spot to be in.
Beyond that, here are a few of my general thoughts on the competition…
- It was great to see such a hotly contested competition. It seems like the past few years of major All Around competitions have been fairly weak. I particularly liked the fact that none of the top competitors fell. If you fell, you actually lost a chance at a medal. Imagine that.
- I personally prefer the style of Ksenia Semenova over that of Yang Yilin but both pulled out top performances in the All Around and the higher A score put Yilin on top.
- Speaking of Semenova, her full-turn on Beam (and double turn on Floor in the same position) is gorgeous, don’t you think?
- Nastia’s vault was perfection. I’ve not seen it’s equal.
- I didn’t care for the way Al Trautwig quoted Valeri Liukin’s comment about winning gold medals. It made it sound as if gold is the only thing accepted in their family. Is it just me or does it seem like the media is out to portray Valeri as this overbearing, pushy coach & father? We rarely hear anything positive about him. From all I know of him, he seems like an incredibly kind and considerate man, who has coached his daughter well. Thoughts?
- I really like Yang Yilin’s combo of backhandspring, back tuck on Beam Well done.
Now it’s your turn to sound off. Fill me in on your thoughts.
August 18th, 2008 at 1:25 pm
I was thrilled to see nastia do so well.Good for Beckie Downie getting 12th.I wish we saw more from Izbaza,Pavlova,Nistor,and Ferrari.Pavlova better medal on beam or she will have had a disastrous olympics.
August 18th, 2008 at 7:43 pm
I agree with what you say of Valeri. I think Nastia has turned out to be a strong minded young woman who seems to really enjoy the sport. With her routines, she deserved the gold. It was obvious Sean’s appeal is not as great as Nastia’s on the International level.
I thought Nastia’s bar routine and Sean’s beam routine were underscored. Overall I think the order came out right in the end though.
August 19th, 2008 at 6:00 pm
“either one of them could have wound up on top”
that is bull. nastia won by a huge margin. she is clearly the better gymnast. the only way shawn was going to win is if nastia had a fall like in prelims
September 1st, 2008 at 11:21 am
I am extatic for Nastia. Her and her father have worked and supported each other through the years, even if she had gotten silver, what father wouldn’t have been proud. Valerie is portraid wrong, I have seen him caring, and proud.
For Shawn with all the media attention it’s dissapointing, but I don’t feel that bad. It doesn’t matter what your rep is, if you hit and get scored correctly and you get silver, that is an acomplishment. The scoring mistakes equaled each other in the end and my long time favorite Nastia came out on top.
September 4th, 2008 at 4:03 pm
I thought watching the AA was like watching the Williams sisters in a grand slam tennis final. I was cheering for both of them to do well, but then when it was over, I wasn’t sure who I wanted to win. I, like you, did feel a little sad for Shawn, but also thrilled for Nastia. I was really glad that they both hit their routines. Nastia’s vault was incredible. If that wasn’t a 10.0 execution, then I guess we’ll never see one again. What were the deductions? The only improvements could have been more height and more distance from the horse — but unless you’re comparing her vault to the men’s vaults — she seemed to have both good height and distance and perfect form and a perfect landing. But she won anyway, which was well deserved. She really stepped up her level of gymnastics to the best I’ve ever seen her perform on the best possible day to have a good day.
September 6th, 2008 at 2:03 pm
As merely a casual observer over the years, I am without doubt your least knowledgeable reader, but I do understand more than the basics.
I understand that Luikin’s growth spurt added length which creates lines, important in judged sports of artistry. However, Shawn has personality plus, which seems to come across in her routines, and she is clearly my favorite.
My comment is that I believe as a casual observer that due to the changes in judging perspective, which rewards artistry over tumbling tricks, and given Shawn’s lack of flexibility and artistic grace during her routines (although she certainly has it in spades off the mats), she is pretty well done in the sport.
Also, since you seem to have the inside track on the sport, could someone comment on the persoanl side of the team itself. Although Luikin and Johnson claimed to be good friends / roommates, I get the feeling Shawn is not loved by her teammates, and in fact is treated like a outsider by the rest of the girls.
I have read that it could be her age, her very recent taking over of the world’s in Luikin’s recooperation from injuries, her lack of work ethic, and the press attention she gets based on looks alone. I have noticed she is noticably late for rehearsals in Reno yesterday, and from what I have read across the blogs, will put in token appearances for the money during the tour.
Thanks anyone for their responses, obviously I am more than a casual fan, and am intriqued into the lives of these amazing athletes who, at least in my eyes, defy gravity, making the sport one of my very favorites.
I only wish there could be more coverage of womens and mens gymnastics throughout the media, especially television. I marvel that bowling has a televised tour, and gymnastics does not.
September 7th, 2008 at 12:02 pm
I agree that either one could have ended on top, and please do not refer to that as “bull”, that’s rude. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Nastia won because she did what she has failed to do at the last Worlds, at Trials, and at the last 2 National Championships - hit 4 for 4 with no major breaks. Is it ridiculous that fans like me weren’t expecting her to perform as well as she did? I don’t think so.
Kudos to her, though, she was awesome that night!
September 18th, 2008 at 4:13 am
I was a little bit upset after the competition because Steliana Nistor didn’t get a medal but she did great considering that she needed 7 infiltrations at her back, not to be so painful.
I would like though that Shawn would won the gold medal and I also regret that Anna Pavlova went home without a medal.
September 20th, 2008 at 9:02 pm
Nastia only wins because of a very peculiar rules effect on UBs which allows her piro-connect bonuses. This was not the case before and will not be the case next quad. Her routine exploited this weakness, rather than having spectacular individual skills. Her VT is subpar diffuiculty. Her FX is not getting hammered for cowboys and leg seps…and she has no double back style skill. Her beam is very good. But a tad less than Shwan on diffuculty. Shawn does the most wolrd class tricks of any female gymnast in the wolrd. she is really the star of the quad. Nastia is loved by those who are not sporting.
October 26th, 2008 at 7:57 pm
they are both amazing gymnasts and did extremely well at the olympics!!!! i prefer nastia, mainly because her style is much nicer to watch and her excution is generally very good!!! it as fantastic to see her win after coming back from her ankle injury!!! either of them could have taken the aa title and nastia was just better on the day. to TCO: nastia’s fx is not that bad seeing how in the aa shawn and nastia scores were exactly the same and she managed to come third in ef!!
well done to both girls
January 11th, 2009 at 9:01 am
I was so pround to see that Nastia won and Shawn got second. I would have to disagree with what Catherine said about Shawn Johnson. Nastia and Shawn are equally good gymnasts. I would like to see you Catherine pull yourself up from out of nowhere when your 16 and make it to the Olympics.
March 31st, 2009 at 9:21 am
Shawn is clearly the best in the world. She really got screwed not winning the gold. What were the judges thinking?
April 27th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
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December 7th, 2009 at 11:58 am
I can’t believe some of the turns on beam! Almost everyone didn’t control them in got did several balance checks….Shawn’s beam routine gives me the chills…she is sooo solid and strong on beam!
February 18th, 2010 at 1:11 pm
My thoughts:
I personally think that Nastia gymnastics is not very pretty. She always has bent knees on the bars when doing her giants. She looks way to skinny, I think it it just pleasing to watch her. When I look at Shawns gymnastics, it just blows my mind. She is by far the best gymnast I have seen. No only with her skills and talent, but also with her charater. She is always having a positive and good attitude that encourages everyone to do their best. I definatly enjoy watching her. GO SHAWN!
**Shawn should have taken the gold metal, by far.
August 4th, 2010 at 4:19 pm
@kimba i agree… shawn does seem like she was not liked at all by her teammates. there’s a clip from 2008 nats where they show all the girls stretching together, but shawn is at the other side side of the floor by herself. i think they’re all a bit jealous cuz she was the world champ and everything. they also might have hard feelings because in her first senior year she was 3 time world champion, while they hoped to make it on the world team. i also if alicia managed to turn all of the girls against her… she said mean things about shawn’s win on floor in 2007.
I think that the overall competition was a little boring. We all knew shawn or nastia would win. however, in my opinion nastia should only have a 4.6 start value because of all of her horrible form. people automatically think she’s graceful because she is tall and skinny! anyone who wants to see TRUE balletic gymnastics should look up irina baraksanova… she was truly magnificent!
The judges should have given shawn only the double yurchenko…. she barely made 2 1/4! That would deduct her .7 off start value and bring her out of the medals!
My list for the AA:
1) Yilin
1)Semyonova
3)Pavlova
August 4th, 2010 at 4:22 pm
sorry about the rant… btw, i meant nastia should have a 4.6 on floor. i don’t like her style on bars with all the pirouttes. her releases were very average and not in the least as spectacular as kexin’s…
February 21st, 2011 at 7:21 pm
@TCO Shawn really only wins by difficulty. She hardly ever completes her splits! Nastia won because of execution. All of you people saying Nastia is not graceful obviously are wrong. I know she has bad form but she adds a lot of ballet into her routine. I find her very pleasing to watch because she is one of the FEW gymnasts who have good choreography in their routine. I was appalled to see that Shawn got the silver in FX Final because she had ZERO choreography(jumping around like you have to pee is NOT dance.) I don’t think Shawn would last on the 10 point system. But what’s done is done. Nastia got the gold and Shawn got the silver. Now you can badmouth me all you want.