To be fair it's not her fault her parents named her McKayla. You name your kid McKayla it is almost a genetic certainty that they'll turn out looking and acting like a mix of Mean Girls and a VH1 reality series contestant.
In Bolt's defense, he was still rehabbing an undisclosed injury when he lost to Blake. <a class="postlink" href="http://espn.go.com/olympics/summer/2012/trackandfield/story/_/id/8131518/olympics-2012-injured-usain-bolt-withdraws-monaco-meet" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://espn.go.com/olympics/summer/2012 ... onaco-meet</a>
She was mad at herself for failing her country. How dare she not cry? She should have been rife with tears. China is beating us! Can't wait until she's 18 though.
Who else are you referring to? Maroney is the big one people keep referring to, but honestly, she's a 16 year old girl who EVERYONE kept referring to as nearly a mortal lock for gold and she fell, something she hasn't done in something like her last 30 vaults, and not even on her hardest one. She still gave hugs and didn't fall into a blubbering mess consoled by everyone. Who cares if she didn't do the fake ass hugs to the other gymnasts. Did you see the Russians smiling and high fiving when Gabby Douglass fucked up her bars routine last night? Fuck them. If Maroney had walked off the floor and made a stink, thats one thing, but I don't know what else people expect her to do.
Or maybe she's pissed because she basically spent her entire post-fetal existence training for that one moment and she fucked it up. She knows she why she fucked it up and she's reflecting on it. Good sportsman or not, that will bum you out.
Holy fuck. Our first Gold medal ever in gymnastics! Epke Zonderland annihilated the competition in the men's horizontal bar. It's always fun to watch, but what Zonderland did was mindboggling. His performance was perfect. Only one gold medal needed to overtake the Germans. Here's the man in question, for all you ladies;
Thank you for following up on this, as I was being facetious. To piggyback on to JWags, those are your competitors, this isn't normal team sports where you're just going to see them in 2-3 weeks. This shit is major, it comes to a huge peak, and when you miss it fucks with you. She has one more shot in 4 years, then after that she's done, she's out. She could have done much worse, but she had a pouty face. She's human, a 16 year old one, a poker face isn't easy to pull in those circumstances. Anyway *Starts USA Chant*
Let's see - Lochte and his grill is another example of lack of class, but that is open to interpretation. I thought that Hope Solo's twitter rant about the commentary was a little over the top as well I was mostly kidding about McKayla, I actually think that picture is hysterical. She is a very pretty girl, and will be a stunning woman one day. But she almost has a perpetual "bitch" face in the way that her features are put together. I predict that over the course of her life that she will be told repeatedly that she looks angry unless she is smiling (as spoken by somebody who knows, and who also enjoys the arms crossed pose that seems to be a favorite of Miss Maroney). That Russian chick is the exact same way (although, as I recall, she actually behaved poorly too) Not everybody is as "cute" as Gabby Douglas. I don't begrudge these athletes (american or not) the opportunity to rejoice if they win and feel disappointed if they don't.
I find it a lot more forgivable when someone has a problem hiding their disappointment. Especially when it is a sport like Olympic gymnastics when so often you are "one-and-done." Classless grandstanding is more often my issue. There is a definite difference between exuberant celebration, something anyone who wins any medal is entitled to, and running around making an ass/spectacle of yourself.
Why is there such a fall off after these girls hit 18-19? You'd think the older the stronger they'd be for doing more powerful moves on some of the events. Prepubescent girls just more limber for the requirements of the sport? Anyway, I miss Alicia Sacramone.
My understanding is that the acrobatic aspects require a certain litheness and petiteness that decreases with time, and that the pounding on joints and muscles makes it near impossible to compete at the elite level for more than a few years.
That is the way it was told to me. Most the gymnasts I knew in college told me that they were in the early retirement phase of their careers for most of these reasons. They also said, your body will only put off growing up for so long. Boobs, hips, and other curves that throw your body control off will eventually start to show up. I always thought it was kind of depressing that those girls were in college, and for most of them the highest levels of their sport were in their rear view. At a time when most athletes are focusing on getting better their daily goal was a fight to maintain their mid-teens prime.
Your lucky if they are 18, most are 16. On another note, never heard of this before but Dressage(Horse Dancing) is an Olympic sport. All i can say is WHAT THE FUCK.
I've seen Dressage and I'm sure it takes a lot of skill but I don't think it should be an olyimpic sport. I get it though, we saw horses a long time ago and though, "Hey, that's probably easier/faster than walking. Let's ride that fucker." Later this progressed to, "My horse is faster than your horse Laverne." "No it isn't." "Let's race!! Yeeehaaaaw!" Even later, "I bet this furry fucker can jump, hey y'all watch this!" And then "I bet I can make it dance!" Much like anything man/woman has done there is a progression. Cars to nascar (faster) drag racing (fastest). Cars jumping = baja or monster trucks. Cars dancing = hydraulics. It applies to a lot if you sit and think about it. Yes, I'm bored at work today.
Um - I think that Dressage and Eventing are competitive sports born out of tradition. Remember, there was a time BEFORE horseless carriages and shit. In history, all battle horses received extensive Dressage training as it made them more agile and responsive on the battle field. Eventing is much the same. Military horses had to be fit and well schooled to carry out their tasks. Although I poked sticks at competitive shooting - it too has its roots in history. Speed walking however - I do not get. Well not unless I can shoot at them from horseback?
I have no problem with calling any equestrian event a sport. However, they don't give the awards to the athletes. All of the riders are just coaches with really good seats. That being said, the Olympics are for human athletes. If every four years horses want to get together to do their sports more power to them.