Media (& Blogger) Responsibility Earlier today I read a post on The Olympic Effect, a new blog covering gymnastics & figure skating. It was an extensive look at the media coverage that surrounded both Vanessa Atler & Kristie Phillips. One could argue that the media played a large part in the downfall of both [...] Author: nance Category: Gymnastics Publish Date: Wed, 23 Jan 2008 02:51:53 +0000 Earlier today I read a post on The Olympic Effect, a new blog covering gymnastics & figure skating. It was an extensive look at the media coverage that surrounded both Vanessa Atler & Kristie Phillips. One could argue that the media played a large part in the downfall of both athletes. If you are not familiar with their stories, check out the post on The Olympic Effect. It gives a decent summary for each. While I am not as familiar with the rise and fall of Phillips (too young), I was an avid fan of Vanessa Atler. I believe she was one of the greatest gymnasts of all time. Many factors played a part in her troubled time at the top of the sport. It would be impossible to place the blame on one party. Parents, Coaches, USAG & Media all play crucial roles in the life of a young athlete in the United States. But after reading the post on The Olympic Effect I was particularly troubled by a statement made by a member of the media regarding the coverage of athletes. (more...) Read more... - Read comments...

politics: [quote]Bela Karolyi sensed Atler might quit the sport and phoned her agent, Sheryl Shade, immediately. Karolyi, Shade and Atler

"New coach Valeri Liukin was equally upset, especially when Atler gained four pounds during her recovery. Liukin

Weigh-ins 3 times a day sounds excessive and obsessive. Here's Vanessa's beam routine the 2nd day of competition, she hits. "VanEsSa aTLER perFect bALANce BeaM GYMNASTICS" [youtube]GPUe9Hkt9E8[/youtube] Vanessa when she was still with the Rybakis and he kept that Comaneci in her UB routine, when they could've just changed up her routine; there's lots of skills to choose from, and maybe she just doesn't want to compete that one then. [youtube]S__6sjNf2_8[/youtube]

That was really stubborn to not change her bars routine; it was a lot of the talk in the gyms. Athletes make mistakes, you don't hit it all the time, you're not a robot; Chow, Shawn Johnson's coach said that. How the coaches handle that and their coaching style can make a big difference. [quote]Quote: Johnson overcame a few uncharacteristic mistakes to win three gold medals at the Stuttgart worlds in September, capping off an incredible 2007. "She had a lot of competitions this past year, and overall she had a very, very successful season," Chow said. "And everybody has to understand that she is a human being and she makes mistakes. She's not a machine (laughs)." [/quote] "Striving for excellence vs. striving for perfection": http://www.gymchat.com/messageboards/viewtopic.php?t=445 "Carly Patterson/Vanessa Atler*Requested by persevereforgold*" [youtube]7I7ioTEqDH4&NR=1[/youtube]

related post on weigh-ins: [quote]Stepping on a scale was as integral to Shelly Eaton's young gymnastics career as tumbling. Scheduled weigh-ins, random weigh-ins, they all blurred together. And each gymnast's weight was posted on a board for everyone to see. Not much changed when Eaton arrived at the University of Utah, where Eaton, who at the time went by Schaerrer, competed from 1989-92. She and her teammates weighed in every week, and the results were charted on the refrigerator in the locker room. "They did it on Mondays so we wouldn't eat much over the weekend," recalls Eaton, who now lives in Arizona and is the co-owner of the Desert Devils Gymnastics Club. "I never ate on Mondays, I'd just have a Diet Coke, and I can remember standing there in my sports bra and underwear to be weighed. It wasn't a negative thing then, it was just part of the whole experience we were used to as gymnasts." That was then. To hear that story now, the eyes of several of Utah's gymnasts grow wide in disbelief. [/quote] [quote]"They did it on Mondays so we wouldn't eat much over the weekend," recalls Eaton, who now lives in Arizona and is the co-owner of the Desert Devils Gymnastics Club. "I never ate on Mondays, I'd just have a Diet Coke, and I can remember standing there in my sports bra and underwear to be weighed. It wasn't a negative thing then, it was just part of the whole experience we were used to as gymnasts." [/quote] http://www.gymchat.com/messageboards/viewtopic.php?t=319 That contributes too, not just the media. Interview with Mariana Bitang, in 2001 before the World Championships in Ghent: [quote]MB: Look here, you can