On a Russian news website, there is a very nasty photo response to the interview that Nellie Kim gave with ITAR-ITASS.
In it, there is photos of Russians doing skills perfectly and photos of Americans. These are not only completely different skills, but they fail to recognize that the Russians have faults too, just as many as the Americans do. But the Americans with some faults have strong beautiful athletes too that also have beautiful execution. (Here is the link to the original page.) The problem is they compare only a few examples and they aren't even comparing the correct skills (comparing a pike jump on beam to a piked Tkatchev/Jaeger on the uneven bars? Give me a break). Nasty fan behavior is nothing new in sports, but that doesn't excuse deplorable behavior. Catherine of Beautiful Gymnastics says it beautifully.
Comparison # 1: Bailie Key vs. Viktoria Komova in the battle of the ring leaps. Keep in mind, Bailie is a junior and she beat everyone on every event at the Junior Japan Invitational just a couple of weeks ago.
In it, there is photos of Russians doing skills perfectly and photos of Americans. These are not only completely different skills, but they fail to recognize that the Russians have faults too, just as many as the Americans do. But the Americans with some faults have strong beautiful athletes too that also have beautiful execution. (Here is the link to the original page.) The problem is they compare only a few examples and they aren't even comparing the correct skills (comparing a pike jump on beam to a piked Tkatchev/Jaeger on the uneven bars? Give me a break). Nasty fan behavior is nothing new in sports, but that doesn't excuse deplorable behavior. Catherine of Beautiful Gymnastics says it beautifully.
"[I]t's extremely easy to do [sic], and highly inaccurate to pit one nation against another in this way, especially when the worst example of one side is taken, versus the best or one of the best of the other. Or you know, not even the same skill."Well, two can play at that game, stans.
Comparison # 1: Bailie Key vs. Viktoria Komova in the battle of the ring leaps. Keep in mind, Bailie is a junior and she beat everyone on every event at the Junior Japan Invitational just a couple of weeks ago.
Comparison # 2 McKayla Maroney versus Tatiana Nabieva on vault. McKayla has better block off the table which number one will make her go straighter and therefore will not incur deductions for landing outside the lines.
Comparison # 3, the battle of the Tkatchevs. Kyla's toes are completely pointed while Anna's feet are completely flexed.
Comparison # 4, to quote Justin Pierre of Motion City Soundtrack, "the coup de gras that set me off was Aliya's tragic twisting form". It's gotten worse over time and might I point out that gym fans from around the globe want her to fix her tragic form. It's a Sesame Street moment, all about the number 4!
Pretty nasty, huh? I hate nasty rabid stanning in sports, which is one of the many reasons I can't stand American football. Because I've seen grown men almost break into tears because the Denver Broncos didn't win because the referee made a call they didn't agree with. Bitching and complaining about how the judges are biased towards one specific group of athletes or another because yours didn't win really makes you petty and an asshole. For some cold, hard facts, read Uncle Tim's deliciously gym nerdy numbers here and here.
You can see the original article here.
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