The 2008 Olympic Games have come to a close and for those who are true gymnastics fans, the talk is that it is time for an independent review of the judging of men’s gymnastics at the World and Olympic level.
This review should center itself around the video judging by the technical committee. The use of video judging has now been abused, as every routine is being judged by video and this takes away from the performance and undermines the judges on the competition floor.
Lets face it, anyone reviewing a video can slow down the action thus changing the real time aspects of judging. If you put the technical committee on the floor and have others use video to evaluate their judging I am sure they will not do very good.
One thing is for sure, video judging of all routines allows for manipulation of the scores and it slows down the competition. These two are facts about video judging. Especially, now the MTC is calling in and changing A and B-Panel scores on floor. Hmm, I thought it was just for a review of A-Panel scores.
So lets get this discussion started over the next month.
Besides, you see things or create things that are not seen in real time as you do on video. Example, slow motion and the ability to pause, etc. The reality is that this video review should only be used when an inquiry is handed in and at all other times it should be SHUT OFF!
Ok, so we know that video is being used to judge all rouitnes on the floor. Why do we know this, several people have sat behind the MTC during the last couple of World Championships and at this years Olympics, NBC even showed this on television. So, you would think that the judging would be correct, right? Well over the next month lets take a look at routines and see if the rules were actually used. I am talking about angles on high bar or strength skills that were evaluated on still rings for two examples.
Its time to clean up the over use of video judging and return the sport to what it is suppose to be real sport between the athletes. If not, why have the competitions, just send in your video and the MTC can tell you the following week who has won.
