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SALT LAKE CITY — A 2003 rule change in qualifying for the top prize in Olympic Gymnastics that has people around the world upset.
Following last night's Women's Gymnastics qualifying rounds, World Champion Jordyn Wieber will not compete for the All-Around title. Meanwhile, her two U.S. teammates will. That's because only the top two members of a team are allowed to compete for the title.
Wieber has been gracious since her dream of an All-Around title faded. She has only lost twice in competitions since 2009 and never finished behind two teammates in the same meet — until yesterday. Tears flowed as Wieber realized while she is the World Champion, her scores were not good enough to put her in the Olympics All-Around competition. Instead her two teammates, Aly Raisman and Gabby Douglas, will compete.
Megan Marsden, one of the U. Of U. Women's Gymnastics coaches, knows why the International Olympic Federation changed the rule in 2003, only allowing the top two members of each country's team to compete.
"To make sure that there weren't three strong teams that had all the kids in the All-Around and no other countries were represented," Marsden said. "So it was kind of a goodwill thing. Is it really the way to find the Olympic champion? Probably not, no."
Wieber's scores put her in 4th place overall. Under the old rule, she would have competed in the All-Around finals along with the other top 24 gymnasts.
Wieber faltered in her routines but many in the gymnastics world are saying the judges scores last night were low.
"I think she got underscored in floor, definitely," said Corrie Lothrop, member of the U. of U. Women's Gymnastics Team. "She made a tiny mistake, so to get in the 14s was kind of sad because I don't think she deserved that at all."
Marsden thinks that's just part of the sport. "That's ice skating, that's diving, you know there are a few sports like that and if you don't deal with them very often, then it's really hard to understand. Those who live it, that's just part of our sport."
Wieber can still win an individual medal and she said she's ready to help her teammates capture the gold in the team competition tomorrow. That has not happened for the American women since in the Atlanta Olympics 16 years ago.
