Why are the Americans getting robbed on their gymnastics scores in the olympics?

Question

If anybody saw the girls gymnastics competition...you'll know what I mean. The American girls got low scores for nearly perfectly executed routines. It seemed as if the other competitors (esp. the Chinese) got much higher scores which I felt they did not deserve.

Take the vault for example. Alicia executed and stuck her routine perfectly. The Korean girl fell TWICE and stepped out of the line and still received a higher score.

I know the judges are from different countries, but still, it just seems like there was some kind of bias against our girls.

Answer 1

The Americans may have executed better (as in making less "major" mistakes).. but their routines are dry and boring compared to the others. They are playing it too safe while the other countries are going all out trying different things. The only bias I see are from the America commentators (namely the ones from NBC). Seriously. It's disgusting. I can't see how anyone can be dumb enough to have credibility in them.

Answer 2

Oh the Korean's scores really had me upset.

She went out of bounds by not one by 2 feet & didn't get EITHER landing.

I get that her vaults were harder but what's the point of scoring if you get a high score for a failed attempt?

The American's were surely unfairly judged!

BIAS - i call the judges BS

Answer 3

Yeah. And the Aussies Too :)

Answer 4

Because they got what they deserved.

I am tired and sicked of ignorant users complain about the scores when they have no clue on how to score gymnastics.  Most people only understand the executions because they can see it. (that is where the fall or broken rountines shows up).  However, most of you don't understand the "difficulty" part of the score.  It is the sum of two  that get you the total score.  The Chinese team usually starts with a higher difficulty scores, so even with an execution error like a fall, they would still get higher overall score.

I don't think it is bias.  However, do you think there is any "home court advantages"?  Of course, that is why host countries usually win more medals than usual.  Why do think ALL professional teams want home court advantage during playoffs?

Answer 5

Because although some of the other countries' girls fall, their combination are of a higher difficulities and as long as performed that they would get the score points for that, they only got deducted for the fall on the 'fall' itself....

Answer 6

I think it's because the Americans are complaining too much. It's wrong because they did good. So blame the people who's whining.

Answer 7

because you do not deserve it.....get your own competitors and stop robbing athletes from another countries..... Liuking is actually Russian....

Answer 8

It's not just the US girls. I believe many girls from many countries, like certain Russian have been cheated out of good scores. The judging is unfair on all levels and I am extremely disappointed that it happened that way.

And it's not because it's American complaining because they were defeated by other countries. There are no other complaints about any other sport, including men's gymanstics. Because this is the only one where it is clear that the judging was done unfairly. And that is the opinion of many people in different countries. I'm sure the great Russian gymanst from 4 years ago wouldn't have agreed if it wasn't true. And where is she from, RUSSIA.

Answer 9

cuz there was an expected rivalry between china and usa...and the olympics are in china..hence most judges chinese or influence by chinese...therefore games rendered unfair....so much for bringing the world together in peace

Answer 10

the judges are not fair and that is sad but if its taking that to beat us let them its not worth it

Answer 11

Whenever complaints come up like this, it's always because America lost to another country.  

Answer 12

Let us admit it, we'll consider the scores fair only if we win all the time. It is profitable for the TV commentators like Costas to imply cheating so that more people talk and watch the Olympics (for their ads) but in reality, scoring in gymnastics is lot tougher and complex especially with the new rules so watching it on TV and watching it from the judges perspectives is totally different. Otherwise it wouldn't be different from American Idol. So let us celebrate our victories and stop whining about our losses.  

Answer 13

America always does so well, I think they wanted to see us fail for once, even if it's unfairly done.

Answer 14

Its not just in the execution of the routines..I think the Korean girl Un Jong Hong had a higher difficulity value for her vault then many of the other Gymnasts so that even if she fell she would still get a high score. You also have to look at the positioning on the vault and their form in flight.. Not just the landing. Scoring in gymnastics is complex and difficult to understand especially since they have brought in the new scoring system. Alicia Sacromone did not have the difficult vaulting values to get her to a medal position.

I dont think the American's in particular were being robbed in reference to their scores. And I dont think the judges are bias to the American girls. In the Bar final I personally thought the Chinese girl Yilin Yang preformed a really good routine that would put her in 1st place but instead she was marked low and came 3rd.

Answer 15

cause there's more chinese judges

Answer 16

I think the USA girls did get robbed as well as some of the other countries competing. I think it was pretty obvious that the judges favored the China team. Sure you can talk about the starting value of a routine, but even when the starting value was the same.... on the uneven bars.... it should of never been a tie. The chinese competitor made more mistakes than the USA competitor. On the vault, the starting value taken into account. They did not even deduct all the points needed to be deducted for the wrong hand position or the falls. The deductions given to russia, france, and the usa ... was prob deserving but just as in basketball .... you are supposed to call it both ways, and that was not done. All the balance checks on the balance beam. Come on ... some how the other countries had all these deductions for balance checks but the chinese with tons more obvious checks somehow have less deductions than the other countries. But it is over now, so nothing we can do about it, but the chinese gymnastics team did not recieve all the deductions that were deserving of them.  

Answer 17

The judges can't score for their life.