Karolyi blame game

Alicia Sacramone is consoled by U.S. National Team Coordinator Martha Karolyi after a disappointing performance during the women's team final in Beijing Tuesday night.

Again, we reiterate: Even if Alicia Sacramone had been perfect on balance beam and floor exercise in team finals, even if Chellsie Memmel could have the 0.2 back for her jam through to her dismount on bars, even if all the out of boundses hadn’t happened on floor, China still would have defeated the U.S. by slightly more than half a point.

There is the school of thought that says that if Sacramone hadn’t fallen on beam and the U.S. had trailed China by tenths, not points, going into the fourth rotation, the Chinese might have crumbled under the pressure, as many expected before the competition.

That’s a big maybe. So it seems a bit unfair of National Team Coordinator Martha Karolyi to blame Sacramone’s problems on Chinese officials after the understandably disappointing competition.

BEIJING (AFP) – USA Gymnastics played down suggestions from a team official Wednesday that stadium staff here distracted one of their athletes so much she went on to make mistakes that destroyed their hopes of an Olympic gold medal.

As the gymnast at the centre of the controversy, Alicia Sacramone, admitted nerves got the better of her in the women’s team final against China, USA Gymnastics distanced itself the from remarks made by Martha Karolyi, the team co-ordinator.

Karolyi said immediately after the US loss to China that officials at Beijing’s National Indoor Stadium disrupted Sacramone’s beam routine by delaying her performance for an extended period, breaking her concentration.

“First they called her name up, then they did not even put her name up even though the Chinese had finished … (it was) totally unusual holding,” she said.”She was mentally prepared and then she had a mental break, then after not doing the job, the beam, on the floor exercise her concentration was bothered.”

Long waits happen so often they seem somewhat customary. Sacramone shouldn’t blame herself for the team “loss.” Martha Karolyi shouldn’t either.

Bela Karolyi took a different tack, accusing the Chinese of cheating by putting underage athletes on their team.

Some people may be getting a little sick of this power couple and their excuses, their politics, regardless of the good they’ve done the country. Do they remind you of anyone else?

Bill and Hillary Clinton.

 
(via Gymnastics Coaching)

Tags: Alicia Sacramone, Bela Karolyi, Chellsie Memmel, Martha Karolyi