Written by I would guess that a majority of people out there are familiar with a relatively popular pawn shop show that airs on cable television where customers come into the show thinking they are going to get a certain amount of money for an item and the person behind the counter responds with, “The best I can do is X.” Usually that “X” number is less than what the customer was hoping they would get for their item. Sometimes they take that counteroffer, sometimes they accept the offer from the pawn shop and walk away, other times they try to counter the counter. One way or another, unfortunately, the customer leaves the shop without the money they wanted to get.
Recently, US gymnast Simone Biles faced a similar situation on May 22nd in Indianapolis, Indiana at the US Classic competition. Biles, currently the most decorated gymnast in history, debuted a move that had yet to be seen in competition. Biles’ new signature move, the Yurchenko double pike, named in honor of former Russian gymnast Natalia Yurchenko, requires the gymnast to launch herself into a roundoff back handspring onto the vaulting table, propel herself high enough into the air to provide time to flip twice in the pike position (a position that requires the body to be folded in half with the legs straight, commonly seen in diving), before landing on her feet. For this being Biles’ first competition in 18 months, it was an amazing way to let everyone know she was back.
A vault of this magnitude, something that requires an incredible amount of power, physics, and a healthy amount of fearlessness, is typically only seen by platform divers who have the aid of gravity and the water landing in the pool, not a padded platform. In case you may be wondering why this vault carries Yurchenko’s name instead of Biles’, it has to do with the fact that the Russian gymnast pioneered the roundoff-back-handspring approach to the vault, which Biles used to hit the vaulting platform. The double pike in the air, however, is all Biles.
The only flaw Biles had in performing this incredible maneuver is that she over-rotated causing her to take a few steps back to halt her momentum. Unfortunately, the judges for the competition pulled a pawn shop move on her by scoring the vault a value of 6.6. Because of the lowered point value for the move, the thought from Biles and the coordinator for the United States women’s national team, Tom Forster, is that the judges from the International Gymnastics Federation were trying to discourage gymnasts who may not be as skilled as Biles from attempting the move. The other concern that may be present in the minds of the judges is that Biles may use her incredible repertoire in her “bag of tricks” to essentially outscore any possible competition simply because she is able to do moves her competitors either cannot, or even dare not, try to pull off.
Biles was quoted after the competition saying that her lower scores for her vault move and her equally impressive beam dismount were because the judges “don’t want the field to be too far apart.” Even though the competition judges seem to be miserly in their awarding of points, Biles refused to let it deter her as she continues to move forward in competitions. The defending Olympic all-around champion gymnast says she will continue to do these gravity-defying moves regardless of scores simply, “Because I can.” Honestly, in my opinion, that’s the best reason for her to continue to push the corner of the envelope, because she can.
While the judges may wish to deter others from attempting such amazing feats of skill and aerial majesty by awarding lower scores, doing so seems to drive competitors to push even harder. The Ebenezer Scrooge-like practice of hoarding points as a means of discouragement seems contrary to the belief that sports of Olympic-level should be about the best of the best. If the International Gymnastics Federation is okay with mediocre scoring from its judges, then maybe they are okay with only getting mediocre performances from gymnasts. It is tough to create a culture of excellence and wanting to be the best one can possibly be when the response is equivalent to a “Meh” for one’s efforts. Instead, we should be wanting to see these athletes perform at their very best, continue to push themselves, and be recognized accordingly for their efforts.
Athletes like Simone Biles certainly do not get to where they are by “playing it safe” when it comes to what they can do. Naturally, these athletes also do not just wake up one day and pull off amazing feats of athleticism. It is something that requires years of practice, dedication, and long days in the gym, as Biles has demonstrated she certainly puts in. The International Gymnastics Federation needs to take a hard look at the culture they are creating by clutching hard at their “purse strings” when it comes to scoring difficult moves. Athletes are going to get stronger, they are going to try harder, and they are going to continue to push the difficulty levels on what they attempt. Yes, it may result in some athletes getting injured, a risk in just about any sport, but you cannot get better if you are okay with accepting medium effort. This will also have the effect of decreasing interest in the sport if athletes are only giving their so-so efforts.
NASCAR fans would quickly turn away if races were limited to 35 miles per hour instead of drivers trying to go as fast as they can around a track. The same is true of gymnastics. We, as spectators, do not tune in or watch competitions to see mediocre performances, we expect to be blown away and left with jaws agape. Let athletes push themselves and score their efforts accordingly. If one athlete outshines the others, that should create a culture where those other athletes want to catch the one and eventually pass her, or him. Competition is healthy. It’s time for the International Gymnastics Federation to recognize this.