Rules we need changed after the Olympics

[blake]

Total overhaul of artistry deductions so that they aren’t so formulaic/busybody. Do whatever needs to be done to prevent a gymnast like Jade/Aly from winning FX.

Drop counting skills to 6 on BB/FX and use an additive A panel to make up for the loss of 2 counting skills.

 

[makam]

Regarding the EFs and warmups and kind of taking off from what Mckayla Maroney has been saying about her experiences, I think EFs with 10 people in two groups of 5 would work fine. One touch/commercial break for group 1, compete, warm up/commercial break for group 2, compete. Awards at the end.

I also think the venue should provide a warming area for the gymnasts. Set up some heat lamps, maybe a heated mat to stretch on, maybe keep the cameras out of the area. If we can keep chicken warm, we should be able to keep skilled athletes at major competitions warm. Divers have warm showers and hot tubs to wait in, and while you can’t put the gymnasts in a hot tub, a portable infra-red sauna or something similar is possible. Or, heat lamps.

 

[irichluck21]

It is not about the casual fan…this is what NBC wanted. Event Finals tend to be longer because of the introductions and then the medal ceremony. Then you add in judging delays…

It’s pointless because while the gymnasts are warming up the TV coverage can go to commercial break or show a different sport.

The reasoning behind the ban is truly ridiculous. We, the viewers, are rooting for every one of these gymnasts to hit the routines of their lives (may the best of the best win!), but instead are treated to a broadcast full of mat-eating because the FIG insists that a touch warmup (which takes all of five minutes) ruins broadcast continuity and, as the 2010 meeting minutes of the FIG council say, “undermine entertainment quality” by slightly boring viewers and extending broadcast time—unlike, say, an elaborate 20-minute medal ceremony that looks exactly like literally every single other one in the Olympics. That’s just dope television to be sure. (An email to the FIG to inquire about the provenance of this rule has not yet been returned; a Change.org petition to change it closed in on 1,500 signatures as of this writing. Update, Aug. 2, 2021, at 12:59 p.m. ET: The FIG has responded that it canceled the warmup in April 2001 “with the recommendation of the Athletes’ Commission.”)

It’s worth emphasizing that, yes, you read right: The governing body of the sport of gymnastics refuses to let gymnasts safely warm up so that they can compete at their best, because somehow it is better “entertainment” to watch the greatest gymnasts on Earth struggle.

The Olympic Gymnastics Event Finals Are Unsatisfying and Unsafe

The sport’s governing body needs to allow a touch warmup before someone breaks their neck on live TV.

slate.com

 

[rlayt]

Good article about a terrible decision by FIG.

 

[gymskatefan]

See, this is where the entertainment part doesn’t make sense. Even for NBC’s poor Olympics figure skating coverage, they show the warm up groups and introduce everyone in the group so viewers know who’s who and what to look out for.

For gymnastics, I’d think it would be more interesting to do and show a warm up so people could get to know who the competitors are. I don’t understand why for gymnastics alone they seem to want to turn it into some pre-scripted drama, that has little basis in reality, vs. a competitive athletic event.

Maybe it’s because American WAG has been dominant for so long that NBC thinks Americans only care about watching Americans winning. American figure skating, at the Olympic level, has pretty much collapsed since 2006, so they’re forced to show you a few other competitors or there would be zero coverage.

 

[Sanzhirovka]

Open-ended scoring killed the artistic in artistic gymnastics.

 

[Doug1233]

a portable infra-red sauna or something similar is possible. Or, heat lamps.

Hadn’t thought of that but that’s such a good idea

 

[makam]

I feel like the first world cup competition to offer something like this would quickly find copycats. Having “heat zones” near where everyone is sitting/standing anyway shouldn’t be technically impossible if a bar can heat their outdoor patio in the winter in Vail.

 

[Denn]

**Is someone willing to make a master list of changes we think are important? **

It would be interesting to offer each one up for debate — publicly, perhaps inviting gymnasts, coaches, and judges to weigh in — and then vote on which ones we think are most vital.

 

[QuietColours]

Regarding finals

• Reinstate one-touch warm-ups in event finals
• 3 per country instead of 2
  • In the all around only
  • In all stages of the competition
• 10 athletes in event finals
• 12 athletes in event finals
• Break each event final into two groups, with the second group warming up at the halfway point
• 36 people in all around finals
• Carry over qualifications scores
  • Weight 1/3 quals to 2/3 event scores

Vault Format Changes

• No deduction for an empty run in vault finals
• Require two different vault entries for all gymnasts
• Adjust deductions specifically for vault
  • .1: Slight hop/shuffle
  • .3: Small step
  • .5: Hop/large step
  • 2.0: Fall
• Classify all round-off entry vaults as one type of entry

Tie Breaks

• No tie breaks in event finals
  • FIG award a medal to any gymnast that loses a medal on a tie-breaker, if IOC won’t allow ties
• Use qualifications scores to break ties in finals
• Count neutral deductions as deductions (part of the E score?) when breaking ties

Competition Format

• Compulsories
• Six person teams
• 5-4-3 or 6-5-4 for team finals, instead of 3-up-3-count
• Allow everyone to compete all around in qualifications
• Require venues to provide a warming area for gymnasts
• Allow a variety of bars and vault settings

Judging and Deductions

• Adjust deductions for events other than vault
  • .05: Tiny errors or adjustments
  • .1: Small
  • .2: Medium
  • .4: Large
  • .8: Maximum total for a non-fall
  • 1.0: Fall
• Wider range of deductions on all events
  • .05 and .2 deductions
• Increase number of judges to 14 in event finals and use the middle 10 scores
  • Include the reference panel in the regular E score
• Artistry Changes
  • Drop counting skills to 6 on BB/FX and use an additive A panel to make for loss of skills
  • Keep 8 skills but make choreography an actual element (different ways to do this) on beam and floor, rated A to E, and simplify deductions to penalize poor dancing
  • Separate A panel for artistry
  • Overall artistry deduction overhaul
• Changes to bars bonuses:
  • Element after flight: +one letter; if after flight to front support, +two letters
  • Element after flight: +one letter; if after flight to front support, +two letters
  • Allow 1.5 pirouettes to finish at 30°
• Changes to beam
  • Changes to beam bonuses by upgrading one letter each for connecting:
    • Flight (acro/dance)
    • Two foot punch, except dismounts
    • Spin or twisting flight (1/2 or more, acro or dance)
    • Losing sight of the beam (forward, head release)
    • Third or later element of a rhythmic series
  • Remove deduction for rhythm in the connection

Changes to skills/skill sections

• Allow only one aerial (front/side) to count on beam
• Skill changes
  • Downgrade wolf turns
    • Don’t devalue, but add requirements similar to rings: Full squat, still arms, stable free leg
  • Upgrade all tsuks by .1
  • Downgrade Silivas and Chuso to G
  • Upgrade Biles on beam to I
  • Devalue Cheng to same/lower than Amanar
  • Eliminate cat leaps
  • Increase all E or higher forward elements by .1
  • Make Randy on FX F
  • Front 3/1 to G
  • Pod to G
  • Moors to H
  • Biles 2 to I
  • Carey to J
  • Back 7/2 to G
  • Front double pike to G

 

[KristyJ]

Thank you for compiling this! For the expand event finals, can we mention that both 10 and 12 were suggested, with suggestions to have two equal warm-up groups?

 

[QuietColours]

Done!

 

[KristyJ]

Thank you!

 

[MaryClare]

No. Event finals do not need to be expanded. Where do you stop

 

[tempest]

I thought the BIles on beam was already an H

And I kinda agree with MaryClare, I don’t think more need to be added, it should be an honor to be in the top 8

 

[cats]

I’ll throw out a few:
-Increase all E or higher forward elements on floor by .1
-Allow only one aerial (front/side) to count on beam
-Rather than devalue the wolf, add requirements as detailed as rings: require full squat, still arms, and stable free leg. If Urazova can do it, it’s time to start whacking everyone else .5.

 

[cats]

Agree. There are always no-hopers in the EFs, and while there are top athletes outside, you should have to hit twice.

 

[Seyonne]

I’m old enough to remember when only six made finals.

 

[QuietColours]

Added

 

[makam]

Even if they keep it 8 in finals, I’d like to have two groups with the one touch between then to keep the playing field as even as possible. With all the judging delays, icing the last gymnasts has been too common. (and let them prep the equipment and then get off the podium if judging is delayed. I hate when they have to stand up there pretending to need to chalk because the judges can’t get their shit together)