Opinion: Simone Biles penalized for having skills other gymnasts can't pull off

[FlyJ]

 Simone Biles is the last person international gymnastics officials should be using to try and make a point.

In an effort to deter other gymnasts from trying skills they are not physically capable of doing, the International Gymnastics Federation watered down the value of a new element Biles plans to do at the world championships. That’s right. Penalize the reigning world and Olympic champion, who is almost cautious when it comes to adding difficulty, for the potential recklessness of others.

“Am I in a league of my own? Yes. But that doesn’t mean you can’t credit me for what I’m doing,” Biles told NBC after learning of the decision this week by the women’s technical committee.

“They keep asking us to do more difficulty and to give more artistry, give more harder skills,” she added. “So we do, and then they don’t credit it, and I don’t think that’s fair.”

Every element in gymnastics is assigned a letter, which corresponds to a numerical value. An “A” skill is worth a tenth of a point, and every letter in the alphabet that follows is an additional tenth. So a “D” skill is four-tenths of a point while the rare “J” skill is worth a full point.

Biles is doing two new skills at worlds: a triple-twisting, double somersault on floor exercise and a double-twisting, double somersault dismount off balance beam. The triple-double was valued as a J skill, while the double-double was only deemed to be an H.

After widespread criticism of its decision, the women’s technical committee (WTC) released a statement Friday explaining its reasoning:

“In assigning values to the new elements, the WTC takes into consideration many different aspects; the risk, the safety of the gymnasts and the technical direction of the discipline,” it said. “There is added risk in landing of double saltos for beam dismounts (with/without twists), including a potential landing on the neck.

“Reinforcing, there are many examples … where decisions have been made to protect the gymnasts and preserve the direction of the discipline.”

Translation: Some gymnasts are trying to pad their scores by chucking skills they have no business doing, and we need to protect them from themselves.

hahahaHAHAHAHAHhahaHahaAhahAhahahaAhahahHAHAahaaaaaaaHa bullshit https://t.co/NAnzBlfh8c

— Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) October 1, 2019

List of new elements submitted at #Stuttgart2019. The double-double beam dismount is only 1 DV more than the full-in. Totally ridiculous and unfair.https://t.co/YNO22Ymclp pic.twitter.com/7gMDRGZPY9

— Something about Brenda (@Pamchenkova) October 1, 2019

There’s no shortage of hypocrisy in that rationale. If the federation is so concerned with athlete safety, why allow I and J skills in the first place? If Biles’ double-double is going to encourage gymnasts to take risks they shouldn’t, wouldn’t her triple-double do the same?

And, while we’re at it, why not allow gymnasts to do a warm-up on the floor before event finals?

Most bothersome, though, is that the federation has ignored the means it has to keep irresponsible impulses in check.

In addition to the difficulty score – the sum value of all the elements in a routine – there is an execution score. If a gymnast insists on trying a skill he or she has no business doing – some of you vaulters, you know who you are – hammer them on the E score.

Source

[kimi]

An interesting insight into gymnastics. Lol. I enjoyed the education. 🙄