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You Won't Believe Your Eyes

Tuesday, July 01, 2008 By Amanda Turner
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IG Online Editor Amanda Turner kicks off her blog, "Out of Bounds," by sharing with you incredible feats of artistry and idiocy.

I've been intending on starting a blog for some time, but what finally got me writing were two items that fell before my eyes in the past 24 hours.

The first was when I came across a genuine gymnastics treasure. Gymnastics treasures are archaeological finds of routines that — like other historical artifacts — were once known to all, but had been left buried and forgotten with the passage of time.

Fortunately, an Indiana Jones of gymnastics fandom dug up this routine and posted it on YouTube for the betterment of mankind. Please check out Czechoslovakia's Monika Zabrzova at the 1989 European Championships, with a beam routine so gilded in artistry and style, it deserves its own museum exhibit alongside King Tut.

Monika Zabrzova, 1989 European Championships finals

Wow.

Does anyone remember this beam routine at the time? Were we so spoiled in 1989 by the likes of Olesya Dudnik, Yang Bo and Svetlana Boginskaya that a routine like this was simply average?

That I was so blown away by this routine is a testament to how far the sport has degraded in artistry, and particularly on balance beam and floor exercise. Too many gymnasts today lack the details that artistic gymnastics requires: the relevé, the toe point, the straight legs and proper arms and hands. You won't find one finger out of place in Zarbzova's routine.

Outside of a few examples, you rarely see a routine so pretty today. You tell me: Are most of today's beam and floor routines of such poor artistic quality because the Code of Points requires nonstop tricks? Or because artistry and originality are not rewarded? Or because there are coaches who don't understand that gymnastics is supposed to look like this? Is it that there are no more compulsories? Tell me what you think, and what should be done.

The second find was e-mailed to me today by an old friend. Subject line: Idiot

It contained a link to a June 22 opinion piece by L.A. Times columnist T.J. Simers. In his column, "On victory parades and child Olympians," Simers blasts gymnasts as "pygmies" suffering from child abuse, horribly deprived by cruel parents and forced to do a sport instead of go shopping. Comments like this inevitably appear every four years, but this latest uninformed rant was particularly idiotic.

Everybody loves a good freak show, writes this man. Well, ladies and gentlemen, step right up and meet: The World's Dumbest Opinion Columnist! You won't believe your eyes as this man pushes the limits of human ignorance. Don't miss this amazing feat of idiocy!

Read "On victory parades and child Olympians"

Let's note that the column is not by journalists Helene Elliot or Diane Pucin, who actually reported for the L.A. Times at the U.S. Trials in Philadelphia. Since this man has clearly never covered gymnastics, nor spoken to a gymnast, nor been in a gym, I assume he must use his time reporting on more worthwhile sports, like NASCAR.

He also has only 14 responses, which probably means nobody reads his column. But I'd rather he had 10 times that many comments, not full of insults, but of personal tales explaining to him why he is so very wrong.

So, readers, please stop by Simer's column and give him a show of what he lacks: knowledge and experience with the sport of gymnastics. 

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Comments (17 posted):

Matt on Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Nice to have a blog on IG. Well done!
danafan on Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Great blog!
sprinkls on Tuesday, July 01, 2008
I completely agree with you! A routine like Zabrzova's nowadays is considered a rare treat. Gymnastics used to be a beautiful, artistic sport, now it is just how many tricks a body can pound out (with a few exceptions of course).
alexandrite105 on Tuesday, July 01, 2008
i completely agree with you that gymnastics has lost its artistry, and i think it's because it is not rewarded nearly enough. i'm thinking particularly of nastia liukin vs. shawn johnson as an example. i for one enjoy watching nastia much more than shawn, but it's up to the judges and they seem to like shawn a little more than they should and nastia not enough.
binks110 on Wednesday, July 02, 2008
I have felt for a very long time that compulsories no longer being a part of elite gymnastics has really changed the sport dramatically. Without it, the standard for what used to be perfect became blurred... wich ultimately made the score of the perfect 10 no longer needed. It's very rare to see a gymnast now days with clean lines and good choreography on both floor and beam, which in my opinion is what compulsories promoted. It's as if someone just removed the word "artistic" from the sport of "artistic gymnastics". Don't get me wrong, I'm still a huge fan of the sport... I think that the skills that are being performed today are amazing! But I sure do miss the good old days when the sport stayed true to it's name of "artistic gymnastics". I'm sorry for whining... I'm just passionate about the sport.
gymerin on Wednesday, July 02, 2008
I hope to see more articles like this one in the future. Something needs to be done about the complete degradation of our sport. I do think the lack of compulsories combined with the demands of this code have greatly contributed to gymnastics' demise. We see lovely gymnasts out there with great technique, line, and style, but who simply cannot compete successfully at the elite level due to low A scores. We also see really profoundly ugly gymnastics, but with high skill level, winning competitions. Why would a coach want to worry about precise technique and good dance ability if their pupil can perform the huge tricks that are now bringing in the medals? It is like spending time on ballet or fundamentals is a foolish waste of time because you know it doesn't matter if gymnast x can land an Amanar. Why is it that so many gymnastics lovers would rather watch routines from the 70s and 80s rather than what we have now? Our sport is called "Artistic" gymnastics, but right now it looks a lot more like power acrobatics involving random apparatus. Thank you Amanda for your refreshing article!
Quetzalcoatl on Wednesday, July 02, 2008
The beam routines of the late 80s / early 90s are artistic masterpieces compared to what we see now. I've been watching Yang Bo's beam sets lately, and they're just magic - showcasing beautiful extension, fluidity and strength. The sad truth though is that difficulty need not come at the expense of artistry. As Bo and Zarbzova and many others from this period show, you can throw amazing tricks and still have polish and style while stringing them together. It's the current COP - and those behind it - who have thrown things way out of whack.

:-)
sayshal on Wednesday, July 02, 2008
It's so sad that only those with special TV feeds or those at the meet saw this fantastic routine. I still have this competition on tape from the compulsories to finals and never did US coverage show this. If one added an extra leap or two into that today, it could win medals! Thank you for taking us back to beauty!
GymSquirrel on Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Keep up the good work and this blog.
Penguin888 on Wednesday, July 02, 2008
blah blah blah, we've heard this all before. the article is about 9 years too late.
gymboo on Wednesday, July 02, 2008
I agree to some degree with the opinions about gymnastics losing its artistry, especially in the floor routines. However, back then the elite gymnasts seemed to have similar body types to one another - generally very lean, flexible and light. Now it is changing - there are so many different body types, which in turn creates different types of gymnastics styles. Shawn Johnson is very small, but she has lots of bulk muscle and less flexibility so those beautiful skills seen in the beam routine above would just not suit her style of movement. I think that regardless of body type, you can still incorporate artistry and style, but it would look different for each athlete. For example, Vanessa Atler I thought had great artistry - she was aggressive and sharp and made want to watch her. I just think that there is so much more variation in gymnastics body types that we cannot expect to see that same type of style from every gymnast, but regardless it should have style.
Becca on Wednesday, July 02, 2008
I am so glad to see gymboo's comments regarding the difference in artistry. Each generation brings something different to gymnastics. In the old days gymnastics was more ballet and as the sport grew we were introduced to new ways of moving, different types of expression and new body types to watch. (remember the "hip hop" routines from Seoul '88? the avant guarde routines? Not everyone liked those!)
To quote gymboo - " there is so much more variation in gymnastics body types that we cannot expect to see that same type of style from every gymnast..."
and we should not EXPECT it!
Elizabeth on Thursday, July 03, 2008
In my opinion until we alter the Code to recognise the value of whole routines and judge them subjectively, rather than taking the pseudo-objective approach of calculating start values and making deductions on the basis of pre-evaluated faults, we will never be able to encourage such artistry in gymnastics again. The whole idea that you can possibly articulate what artistry is is wrong - it's how the routine looks, how it feels, and appreciating the artistry involved is a matter of judgement. There should be violent differences of agreement over marks. Conformity in judging is only imposing one viewpoint of what the sport is and it is bound to perish under such unreasonable and unrealistic constraints. The sport needs diversity to be able to flourish.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, art is everything under the sun. Gymnastics is an art and needs a Code that encourages freedom of expression, originality, and virtuosity. Ironically, the Code under its former self, in many ways the product of totalitarian states where freedom of expression was often denied, was far more open to free thinking and positive interpretation of artistry than the current one, developed mostly by the leaders of what we (perhaps ironically) call the free world.

Great blog and I'll definitely be onto Simers' feedback button!
xeroxxxed on Thursday, July 03, 2008
i gave him a piece of my mind with a taste of his own medicine by being just as idiotic. i doubt they'll put my comment up but i hope he at least gets to read it.

about that you tube video, its amazing. i love that spin to arabesc and the little hops she does to get around the beam. better than those weird arm movements that gymnast do today while they walk which just makes them look weird sometimes.
Marcell Bridges on Thursday, July 03, 2008
I used to dislike watching most of the Romanian gymnasts do floor routines because they were so boring. Now the Americans are doing it too. I taped all of the 1996 Olympics gymnastics from the trials through to the showcase and I watch it all the time. I miss the artistry and expression of the gymnasts as they would dance around. It is a shame. Hopefully it will come back into style sometime or be mandatory again. The compulsory exercises were a good thing. They should bring them back too. This video is a great example of what gymnastics is all about! Thanks for sharing!!!
abercrombiegymnast12 on Tuesday, July 08, 2008
really great blog!i'm sorry alexandrite105,but if you think that nastia liukin has artistry,go watch a video of svetlana boginskaya in the 1989 worlds for floor in event finals,you may give it a second thought.nastia does ok releve and things,but she doesn't perform with as much power or intensity as boginskaya.if you still don't believe me,check out her routine in the 1992 olympic in the team finals for both beam and floor!!
alexandrite105 on Sunday, July 27, 2008
abercrombie, i never said nastia had the best artistry of any gymnast to ever compete, i said she has great artistry, and thinking about it more maybe the most artistry in the quadrennium, but not of all time (though she is up there). as for specifics, nastia has great releve, true she doesn't have much power, but i think she has good intensity. and her elegance and lines are unmatched.

and gymboo i agree with what you said about different body types catering to different styles and techniques. i just do wish artistry could be rewarded as equally as power, and in my opinion at the moment it isn't.

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