gymn Digest Wed, 13 Jul 94 Volume 2 : Issue 149

Today's Topics:
Americas Worlds Qualifier
a survey
Compulsories (2 msgs)
Equipment
More On RSG in Illinois/USOF '94
NCAA Gymnasts
RE: Gender and Judging
Tatiana Tuzhikova
Trivia Questions Needed
Trivia Stuff
Tuzhikova vs. Tugikova
USOF EF Thoughts (2 msgs)
USOF Wrap-Up

This is a digest of the gymn@athena.mit.edu mailing list.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Tue, 12 Jul 94 23:56:18 PDT
From: ***@eworld.com
Subject: Americas Worlds Qualifier

Canada? Canada? Oh, yeah...

Y'know, sometimes it seems like we should extend NAFTA to include our
Canadian and Mexican neighbors in a North American Gymnastics Association
(NAGA).

Naaawww. Forget it. The USAG has already shown what can happen when a sports
association gets too big. No need to exacerbate the problem.

David < --- Card carrying, dues paying USAG pro member and
meet director.

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 13 Jul 94 22:54:37 EDT
From: <***@MIT.EDU>
Subject: a survey

Hi gymners -- I've been asked to post this to this list, which was supposedly
selected at random from a list of internet mailing lists. I don't know
anything else about it.

--Robyn

------- Forwarded Message

Subject: e-mail survey


ATTENTION: THIS SURVEY IS BEING SENT TO MULTIPLE ELECTRONIC
MAILING NETWORKS AND BULLETIN BOARDS. IF THIS POST IS A
DUPLICATE, PLEASE DISREGARD. WE APOLOGIZE FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE
THIS MAY HAVE CAUSED YOU.

Dear Virtual Friend -

In recent months there has been much discussion regarding uses
and abuses of electronic mail (e-mail). In this survey we wish
to explore the impact e-mail has on our personal, professional
and academic lives. This survey is being conducted by
researchers at the University of Nevada. It has been sent to
members of randomly selected on-line networks from a master list
of lists containing over 1,400 discussion list addresses.
Depending on your experience with the issues involved, the survey
will take between 10 and 30 minutes to complete. Your
participation is completely voluntary, however, in order to
gather a fair impression about opinions concerning these issues,
it is important that as many people as possible respond to this
survey. Please be assured that your answers will be kept
COMPLETELY CONFIDENTIAL. Records of identification will be
deleted immediately upon receipt of each survey. Please direct
any questions concerning the survey or a copy of the results to
Denny Summer or Mel Hoek, e-mail address: SHSURVEY@NEVADA.EDU.
Any questions regarding the rights of research subjects should be
directed to the Office of Research Administration at (702) 895-
1357.

HOW TO RESPOND: PLEASE RETURN SURVEY TO: SHSURVEY@NEVADA.EDU

1. You may use your editor to fill out the survey and
either forward or otherwise return it to us via our
e-mail address.
2. You may download the survey to your personal computer,
fill out the survey, upload to your server, and return
it via our e-mail address.
3. You may return to us only your responses via our e-mail
address, by either reading it off your computer screen
or by using the "print screen" command and obtaining a
hard copy.
4. If you would like to participate, but are not sure how
to respond, please e-mail us and we will make
arrangements.


Your participation is much appreciated and we would like to
thank you for your time and insight. For a copy of the results
please send a separate message to SHSURVEY@NEVADA.EDU with a
single line "request copy of results."


Sincerely,

Denny Summer
Mel Hoek
University of Nevada


- -----------------------------------------------------------------
SECTION ONE

In this first section of the questionnaire we would like to know
about the different uses that you have for your electronic mail
account. For each question please place an "x" by the most
appropriate response.
- -----------------------------------------------------------------

Q1. During an average week (7 days), how often would you say you
log-on to your electronic mail account?

1. [ ] more than once a day
2. [ ] once a day
3. [ ] four to six times a week
4. [ ] one to three times a week
5. [ ] I don't log-on weekly

Q2. For what purposes have you used your electronic mail
account? Please indicate all that apply.

1. [ ] academic research
2. [ ] personal communication
3. [ ] work related
4. [ ] professional or work related research
5. [ ] mailing lists or bulletin boards
6. [ ] information sharing
7. [ ] converse with colleagues
8. [ ] converse with friends
9. [ ] establish friendships
10. [ ] establish intimate relationships
11. [ ] establishing business contacts
12. [ ] part of a class
13. [ ] other (please specify)

Q3. In general would you say that your use of electronic mail is
mainly for personal correspondence, for entertainment
purposes, for educational or for work related purposes?
[MARK ONE]

1. [ ] personal correspondence
2. [ ] entertainment
3. [ ] educational
4. [ ] work


Q4. Is it essential to, OR required by your work that you use
electronic mail?

1. [ ] yes
2. [ ] no


Q5. How many electronic mailing lists or bulletin boards do you
currently subscribe to?


- -----------------------------------------------------------------
SECTION TWO
- -----------------------------------------------------------------

In this next section we would like to ask you some general
questions about communication styles over electronic mail.
Please indicate your level of disagreement or agreement with the
following statements by placing an "x" by the most appropriate
response.

Strongly Strongly
disagree Disagree Agree agree

Q6. People tend to 1. [ ] 2. [ ] 3. [ ] 4. [ ]
write things on e-mail
that they would not
ordinarily say in
face-to-face conversation.

Q7. People tend to be 1. [ ] 2. [ ] 3. [ ] 4. [ ]
more truthful on e-mail
than they are in face-
to-face conversations.

Q8. People tend to be 1. [ ] 2. [ ] 3. [ ] 4. [ ]
more self-serving on
e-mail than they are in
face-to-face conversations.

Q9. People tend to be 1. [ ] 2. [ ] 3. [ ] 4. [ ]
more aggressive on e-mail
than they are in
face-to-face conversations.

Q10. I have noticed that 1. [ ] 2. [ ] 3. [ ] 4. [ ]
men and women communicate
differently on e-mail.

Q11. I find it less 1. [ ] 2. [ ] 3. [ ] 4. [ ]
intimidating to
communicate with some
people over e-mail.


- -----------------------------------------------------------------
SECTION THREE

In this next section, we would like to ask you some questions
regarding the appropriateness of certain activities over
electronic mail.




Q12. The following is a list of behaviors which have occurred
over electronic mail. ASSUMING EACH BEHAVIOR IS UNSOLICITED,
please indicate which, if any, you would consider to be
inappropriate for e-mail communication by placing an "x" in
the box of all that apply.

1. [ ] sexually explicit messages
2. [ ] sexually or racially oriented jokes
3. [ ] foul language
4. [ ] requests for sexual favors
5. [ ] sexually explicit computer graphics
6. [ ] repeated requests for personal contact
7. [ ] interruptions using the "talk" feature
8. [ ] surveys sent through electronic mail
9. [ ] advertisements sent through electronic mail
10. [ ] calls for papers sent through electronic mail
11. [ ] personalized demeaning comments regarding a person's
race, class, gender, or sexual orientation/
identity
12. [ ] personalized demeaning comments regarding a person's
intellect
13. [ ] questions about one's physical appearance.
14. [ ] questions of a personal nature
15. [ ] flaming
16. [ ] forwarding personal messages without consent
17. [ ] none

Q13 Are there any other behaviors which you feel are
inappropriate for e-mail communication that you would like
to add to this list? (please specify)


Q14 Do you think it is possible to be harassed over electronic
mail?

1. [ ] Yes
2. [ ] No

If "yes", please go to the next question, Q15.
If "no", please skip to SECTION FOUR, Q29.


Q15 Considering those behaviors in Q12 which you marked as
inappropriate for e-mail communication, Do you feel that any
of them could be considered harassment, either sexual,
racial, or harassment based upon sexual orientation/
identity?

1. [ ] yes (PLEASE INDICATE WHICH BEHAVIORS BY FILLING IN
THE NUMBER WHICH CORRESPONDS FROM Q12)


2. [ ] no


Q16 Is there any behavior which you feel could be considered
harassment that you would like to add to this list?

1. [ ] yes (please specify)

2. [ ] no


Q17 Have you ever been sexually or racially harassed, or have
you experienced harassment due to your sexual orientation/
identity over electronic mail?

1. [ ] yes
2. [ ] no

If yes, please go to next question, Q18
If no, please skip to SECTION FOUR, Q29


Q18 Where did you experience this harassment? Were you: [MARK
ALL THAT APPLY]

1. [ ] on a personal account
2. [ ] on a work-related account
3. [ ] on a school-related account
4. [ ] other (please specify)



Q19 Did you know the identity of the person(s) who harassed you?

1. [ ] yes
2. [ ] no
3. [ ] in some cases (more than one incident)


Q20 Was the perpetrator male or female? or have you experienced
harassment from both males and females?

1. [ ] male
2. [ ] female
3. [ ] both
4. [ ] don't know the identity of perpetrator(s)


Q21 Was the harassment you experienced over e-mail SEXUAL in
nature?

1. [ ] yes
2. [ ] no

If yes, please briefly explain the situation(s).




Q22 Was the harassment you experienced over e-mail RACIAL in
nature?

1. [ ] yes
2. [ ] no

If yes, please briefly explain the situation(s).






Q23 Was the harassment you experienced over e-mail due to your
SEXUAL ORIENTATION/IDENTITY?

1. [ ] yes
2. [ ] no

If yes, please briefly explain the situation(s).






Q24 The following is a list of reactions that people have
reported having after being harassed. Please tell us if any
of the following apply to your feelings regarding your
experiences by answering yes or no to the following
statements. (MARK THE CORRECT RESPONSE).

Yes No
a. I felt flattered. 1. [ ] 2. [ ]
b. I felt angry. 1. [ ] 2. [ ]
c. I felt guilty. 1. [ ] 2. [ ]
d. I felt powerless. 1. [ ] 2. [ ]
e. I felt surprised. 1. [ ] 2. [ ]
f. I felt embarrassed. 1. [ ] 2. [ ]
g. I felt frightened. 1. [ ] 2. [ ]
h. I felt violated. 1. [ ] 2. [ ]
i. I felt betrayed 1. [ ] 2. [ ]


j. Are there any additional feelings or emotions which
characterized your experience that you would like to add to
this list?

1. [ ] yes (please specify)


2. [ ] no




Q25 The following is a list of physical or emotional responses
associated with harassment. Please indicate if you have
experienced any of them as a result of being harassed over
electronic mail by placing an "x" by THE MOST APPROPRIATE
RESPONSE(S).



Yes No N/A

a. increased irritability 1. [ ] 2. [ ] 9. [ ]
b. change of attitude toward school 1. [ ] 2. [ ] 9. [ ]
c. decrease in work quality 1. [ ] 2. [ ] 9. [ ]
d. muscular tension 1. [ ] 2. [ ] 9. [ ]
e. nervousness on campus 1. [ ] 2. [ ] 9. [ ]
f. nausea 1. [ ] 2. [ ] 9. [ ]
g. depression 1. [ ] 2. [ ] 9. [ ]
h. crying spells 1. [ ] 2. [ ] 9. [ ]
i. feelings of low self-esteem 1. [ ] 2. [ ] 9. [ ]
j. nervous tension 1. [ ] 2. [ ] 9. [ ]
h. decrease in school productivity 1. [ ] 2. [ ] 9. [ ]
i. weight loss or gain 1. [ ] 2. [ ] 9. [ ]
j. anxiety at home 1. [ ] 2. [ ] 9. [ ]
k. headaches 1. [ ] 2. [ ] 9. [ ]
l. anxiety at school 1. [ ] 2. [ ] 9. [ ]
m. anxiety at work 1. [ ] 2. [ ] 9. [ ]
n. change of attitude toward work 1. [ ] 2. [ ] 9. [ ]
o. change of attitude toward e-mail 1. [ ] 2. [ ] 9. [ ]
p. decrease in work productivity 1. [ ] 2. [ ] 9. [ ]

q. Are there any physical or emotional responses that you
experienced as a result of being harassed that you would
like to add to this list?

1. [ ] yes (please specify)


2. [ ] no


Q26 The following is a list of possible responses to being
harassed. Please tell us if any of these characterized your
FIRST reaction to being harassed over electronic mail by
answering "yes" or "no" to the following statements.


Yes No N/A
a. I ignored the harassment 1. [ ] 2. [ ] 9. [ ]
b. I told the harasser to stop 1. [ ] 2. [ ] 9. [ ]
c. I removed myself from the 1. [ ] 2. [ ] 9. [ ]
electronic network
d. I quit my job because of the 1. [ ] 2. [ ] 9. [ ]
harassment
e. I dropped a course the harasser 1. [ ] 2. [ ] 9. [ ]
was in or teaching
f. I discussed the harassment with 1. [ ] 2. [ ] 9. [ ]
someone I trust
g. I decreased my use of e-mail 1. [ ] 2. [ ] 9. [ ]
h. I stopped using e-mail 1. [ ] 2. [ ] 9. [ ]
i. I reported the harassment 1. [ ] 2. [ ] 9. [ ]

j. Are there any other FIRST reactions to having been harassed
that you would like to add to this list?

1. [ ] yes (please specify)
2. [ ] no



Q27 Considering all of your responses, OTHER THAN YOUR FIRST
REACTION, to having been harassed, please indicate if any of
the following characterized your SUBSEQUENT responses by
answering "yes" or "no" to the following statements. [CHECK
ALL THAT APPLY]


Yes No N/A
a. I ignored the harassment 1. [ ] 2. [ ] 9. [ ]
b. I reported the harassment 1. [ ] 2. [ ] 9. [ ]
c. I told the harasser to stop 1. [ ] 2. [ ] 9. [ ]
d. I removed myself from the 1. [ ] 2. [ ] 9. [ ]
electronic network
e. I quit my job because of the 1. [ ] 2. [ ] 9. [ ]
harassment
f. I dropped a course the harasser 1. [ ] 2. [ ] 9. [ ]
was in or teaching
g. I discussed the harassment with 1. [ ] 2. [ ] 9. [ ]
someone I trust
h. I decreased my use of e-mail 1. [ ] 2. [ ] 9. [ ]
i. I stopped using e-mail 1. [ ] 2. [ ] 9. [ ]

j. Is there any response to having been harassed that you would
like to add to this list?

1. [ ] yes (please specify)
2. [ ] no


Q28 If you reported the harassment, briefly describe what, if
any, official or unofficial measures were taken to prevent
or stop the harassment from occurring again?


- -----------------------------------------------------------------
SECTION FOUR

In this last section we are interested in some information about
yourself which will help in the statistical analysis of this
study.
- -----------------------------------------------------------------

Q29 What is your age? years

Q30 What is your gender? 1. [ ] female 2. [ ] male

Q31 Are you a U.S. citizen?
1. [ ] yes
2. [ ] no PLEASE SKIP NEXT QUESTION (Q32) AND INDICATE
WHAT COUNTRY YOU ARE A CITIZEN OF.

Q32 In which category of ethnic background would you classify
yourself?

1. [ ] Spanish, Hispanic, or Mexican American
2. [ ] Indian or Native American
3. [ ] Black or African American
4. [ ] Asian American or Pacific Islander
5. [ ] White or European American, non-Hispanic
6. [ ] Other (please specify)

Q33 What is your marital status? Are you:

1. [ ] single, never married
2. [ ] single, divorced
3. [ ] married
4. [ ] widow
5. [ ] live with partner, not married

Q34 What is your sexual orientation or identity? Are you:

1. [ ] gay
2. [ ] lesbian
3. [ ] bi-sexual
4. [ ] heterosexual
5. [ ] celibate

Q35 On domestic social policy issues, would you consider
yourself to be:

1. [ ] very liberal
2. [ ] liberal
3. [ ] middle of the road
4. [ ] conservative
5. [ ] very conservative

Q36 What is your highest level of educational attainment?

1. [ ] less than high school
2. [ ] high school
3. [ ] some college
4. [ ] Associate's degree
5. [ ] Bachelor's degree
6. [ ] Master's degree
7. [ ] Doctorate or Professional degree
8. [ ] Post-doctoral work
9. [ ] Medical degree

Q37 Are you affiliated with a university?

1. [ ] yes
2. [ ] no


Q38 What is your occupation?


Q39 What is your yearly household income (in U.S. dollars)
before taxes? Is it:

1. [ ] Less than $15,000
2. [ ] $15,000-$24,999
3. [ ] $25,000-$39,999
4. [ ] $40,000-$49,999
5. [ ] $50,000-$59,999
6. [ ] $60,000-$69,999
7. [ ] $70,000-$99,999
8. [ ] $100,000 or more



Please write any additional comments you wold like to make about
any of the questions or issues in this questionnaire. Thank you
once again for your assistance.


------- End of Forwarded Message

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 12 Jul 94 15:24:59 EST
From: ***@email.cfr.org
Subject: Compulsories

Clive wrote:

".... I agree there should be
at least some mechanism for removing judges who werent up
to scratch but you dont want to create a culture of if
you dont mark something correctly your out of here, that
is the problem with the refs at the moment, they are under
so much pressure to get it right that they are making
mistakes. You need to do it such that there isnt pressure
to do certain things but you want to make sure that if they
dont keep to a standard of marking then they will asked to
leave........."

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but was Nelli Kim not suspended from
her judging duties by the FIG because of her apalling mark (9.80) on Siliva's
vault during the individual all-round of the 1988 Olympics? Seems there was
enough of an outcry by other judges to force Titov to act (think I read
it in IG a few years back).

Connie

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 12 Jul 1994 17:22:17 -0400 (edt)
From: <***@dorsai.dorsai.org>
Subject: Compulsories

> Rachele said:
> >The FIG should study FIFA, the international governing body for
> >soccer.
>
> Governing body for Football, not soccer.:)
>
> >They seem to be pretty strict on accurate refereeing. Some
> >referees in the World Cup have been "dismissed" for
> incorrect calls --
> >actually sent home and replacements found for later games.
>
> Damn right too some of those decisions were appalling,
> I would say the equivalent for a judge in gymnastics
> would be to refuse to mark a routine. I dont see the same
> thing going on in gymnastics but I agree there should be
> at least some mechanism for removing judges who werent up
> to scratch but you dont want to create a culture of if
> you dont mark something correctly your out of here, that

> Of course the whole problem with the refs are they arent
> professional refs, they all have normal day jobs to go to.
> Now I dont know whether the same is true of gymnastic
> judges, but to effectively be a judge or a ref you need them
> to do that job full time, be sent on courses etc etc etc.
>
> >Of course, gymnastics is a subjective sport -- it is
> impossible to
> >expect completely objective scoring with the sport as
> it exists now.
>
> As it stands now yes I agree, but does that mean we
> should accept
> it as it stands.
>
> Clive
>
Currently, there is a system of yellow and red cards in place at FIG
events. Judges are evaluated based on the scores they give and how close
or far it is from the actual score. Scores outside the range may lead to
a yellow card. Scores that are actually impossible scores (i.e., missing
a 0.4 special requirement, yet scoring a 9.7 may result in a red card
without prior yellow. At the last few world championships, going back to
'91, both yellow and red cards have been given out on the men's side.
This has led to a somewhat more objective scoring by officials who know
they might be removed from the floor.

You are also correct in that judges in gymnasticshave other jobs
to which they must devote their time and efforts, in addition to
studying, going to courses, and meets.

Ken

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 12 Jul 94 22:18:35 EDT
From: ***@aol.com
Subject: Equipment

>I always thought that if a gymnast fell due to equipment
failure, he/she was allowed to repeat the routine...<

We disccussed this before Beth joined us (in referance to Harding's skate at
the Olympics) but if anyone is wondering . . . Grips, leotards and other
personal equipment is the personal responsiblity of the gymnast. Now if the
uneven bars or rings broke then they would obviously be allowed to re-do but
a personal equipment failure is considered to be as much their fault as a
fall. I personally think this is a very good idea and avoids the "it's not my
fault" excuse (though the whole "camera flash" theory is silly and a real cop
out IMHO, Unless that person is 3 feet from you a camera flash wouldn't blind
you; only distract you and gymnasts should be condtioned to deal with and/or
tune out out outside distractions).

During the '91 Worlds a young girl from some unknown country slowly lost her
bandage that held her right ankle during the compo FX. It waved out behind
her like a ribbon growing ever longer but she never stopped (or even
stumbled thankfully). I thought she was very courageous and showed incredible
grit despite what must have been sheer terror on her part. The crowd (very
small at compos but none-the-less) gave her a standing O.

Susan

PS-So Beth is it Tugikova or Tuzhikova? I too thought it (and you're the
expert) was "z" and not "g" and despite the fact that I mistook that Adriana
was talking about one of the ex-Sovs that appeared at the PR Cup I'm not
completely crazy (Everyone STOP laughing . . . I'm not . . . really)

Still Susan

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 13 Jul 94 03:02:34 EDT
From: ***@aol.com
Subject: More On RSG in Illinois/USOF '94

CHICAGO TRIBUNE


DATE: Tuesday, July 12, 1994
SECTION: SPORTS
SOURCE: By Julie Deardorff, Tribune Staff Writer.



Excerpts From . . . "GYMNASTS HAVE RHYTHM-AND BRIGHT FUTURE"

Six of the top 10 all-around finishers in rhythmic gymnastics at the
Olympic Festival live in Illinois. Some train at Rhythmic Gems in Evanston,
and the others at Illinois Rhythmics in Northfield and Winnetka.
Maryland's Tamara Levinson won the all-around and a trip to the world
rhythmic championships in Paris by taking first in the hoop, ball and club
competition while Jessica Davis of California took home the silver.
But Winnetka's Caroline Hunt won the bronze, and Lauri Illy, who lives in
Virginia Beach, Va., but moved to Evanston to train at Rhythmic Gems, was
fourth.
Sandwich's Lori Fredrickson finished fifth, Skokie's Natalie Lacuesta, the
national junior champion, placed sixth, Skokie's Jennifer Lim was eighth and
Glenview's Sara Sieber was ninth.
"I think we have quite a bit of talent, and we will surprise a lot of
people," said North team coach Lana Lashoff, who coaches at Rhythmic Gems.
"It's not a well-known sport in the U.S., but once a child starts, she
doesn't quit."
Most of the girls competing are still children, who barely look old enough
to wear makeup. Twenty-year-old Vanessa Vander Pluym of Redondo Beach,
Calif., who finished 13th, was the oldest rhythmic gymnast by three years.

posted by Susan

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 13 Jul 94 00:49:11 PDT
From: ***@eworld.com
Subject: NCAA Gymnasts

Good points made by all in this thread. All gymnastics is wonderful, and we
should all be supporting everything from gymnastrada to artistic to rhythmic,
and USGF Level 1 to NCAA. Its all there, folks, the sport in its glory.

Susan's point is, nonetheless, well taken. The sheer number of competitive
slots open on NCAA women's gymnastics teams across the country makes it
inevitable that the AVERAGE level of gymnastics would fall somewhat short of
that of our better elite gymnasts. While it is indeed fair to say that the
worst NCAA gymnasts probably look like fair Level 10s, it is also fair to say
that the best equal the best of the elites.

What can be decieving is the fact that so many collegiate men are
concurrently Olympic competitors, while that is less frequently the case with
women. Thus, there is a tendency to generalize and say that the NCAA is the
gymnastic equivalent of a nursing home for has-beens and never-weres.

Say what you will about technique and excellence. The heart that many
collegiate athletes put into their routines gives NCAA meets a special
ingredient that Worlds and the Olympics will never have.

Off to check my blood-sugar level,

David

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 13 Jul 94 00:04:41 EDT
From: ***@aol.com
Subject: RE: Gender and Judging

Hello!!!!!

Mayland wrote:

>USGF certainly has more money for bringing in judges. The
>hotel costs are high, and when you bring in one male judge
instead of 4
>females, you now have 3 rooms instead of 2 for a long meet, most
FIGs are,
>you have a lot of extra costs (yes, I realize that more than 4
judges are
>brought in, but this is to make a general point).

This is a good point. I am often scheduled to work with
at least another male judge when hotel is required to cut cost.
But this is not as often as you may think. Most of the time we
judge within driving distances, so hotel is not an issue. I do
realize that international competitions require that judges stay
in hotel since must of the judges have to travel long distances.
But if you think about it, in most of the international events
both men and women gymnastics are part of the program.
Therefore, if a qualify male judge of women gymnastics deserves
to judge an international event, he can be accommodate with the
male judges for men gymnastics. If the FIG want it to, I am sure
they could figure out ways to cut cost without banning males to
judge women gymnastics.

Raul -- Go Bulldogs!!!!

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 12 Jul 94 21:26:41 EDT
From: <***@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu>
Subject: Tatiana Tuzhikova

Like Adriana, I remember Tatiana Tuzhikova very well from Rotterdam. I
thought her floor routine was just exquisite. She really did look like a
ballerina out there. I remember being so disappointed that she was first up,
because I thought her routine deserved to be in floor finals, but when you're
first up on the Soviet team - no way. By the way, here's an interesting bit of
trivia as to how she, an unknown, made it onto the team, while Alevtina
Pryakhina, who competed in '87 Europeans, was the alternate. Arkaev decided to
try a "democratic experiment" and actually use the results of Soviet team
trials that year to choose who'd be on the team (what a concept). The Soviets
would always have trials for major events, but then Arkaev would just put
whomever he wanted to on the team. But in '87 he decided to go with the actual
placings in trials, and Tatiana was in the top six (Alevtina was 7th), so she
got the spot. That was the first and last time the Soviets ever chose a team
that way. I remember reading somewhere that Arkaev decided not to use the
"democratic" method anymore, since the Soviets didn't win the gold in
Rotterdam. It's too bad, because I think their loss had much more to do with
blatant cheating (like the little deal the American and Romanian judges made,
which Greg Marsden finally admitted to in the press) than with how the Soviets
chose their team.
Anyway, Tuzhikova did compete in some minor meets, I believe, and she
tried for the '88 Olympics. The results of the Soviet Olympic Trials that year
were the following (which illustrates what I said about Arkaev not going by the
results. Look at who was 5th...)
1. Elena Shushunova - 78.6
2. Svetlana Boginskaya - 78.1
3. Natalia Lashchenova - 77.875
4. Elena Shevchenko - 77.725
5. Olga Chudina - 77.6
6. Olga Strazheva - 77.575
6. Svetlana Baitova - 77.575
8. Oksana Omelianchik - 76.9
9. Tatiana Tuzhikova - 76.725
10. Elena Gurova - 76.35
11. Natalia Frolova - 76.025
12. Elena Sazonenkova - 75.9

I don't have the slightest idea why Chudina was left off the team. As for
Omelianchik, she got a very raw deal. I am fairly certain that she finished 2nd
in optionals, and she medaled on beam and floor in finals, but it was the
carry-over score from her compulsory bars that landed her in 8th. That was the
routine in which her grip broke and, for some reason, she wasn't allowed to
repeat the routine. (I always thought that if a gymnast fell due to equipment
failure, he/she was allowed to repeat the routine...). Anyway, after the
Trials (but before event finals), "Sovetsky Sport" quoted Oksana as saying:
"Optionals went fine, but to be honest, I'm in a bad mood. How stupid to mess
up in compulsories! My handgrip broke when I was working on the bars, and all
hopes for a medal flew away. But I will still try to fight for a spot on the
Olympic team. The USSR Championships in the event finals are still ahead." So
she obviously knew that finishing 8th didn't necessarily mean not making the
team. In the end, Arkaev handpicked the girls. Boginskaya's quote illustrates
the point even better. Even though she finished SECOND, she wasn't yet sure
she'd be on the team: "I had back luck before the Moscow competition began - I
caught a cold and was losing my breath, so it was hard to perform. But
everything ended well; I was clean on every event. Second place behind Elena
Shushunova herself really isn't so bad. [!] But if I'm chosen for the Olympic
team, I will definitely increase the difficulty of my floor exercise; I'm going
to do a double-twisting double back." (Well, she had good intentions...) I have
quotes by Shushunova, Shevchenko and Lashchenova too, if anyone's interested.
Plus the results of event finals (top 3 finishers only), which SUPPOSEDLY had
an impact on who was chosen for the team, but I find that a little suspect,
since Omelianchik won a silver and a bronze, Baitova had only one bronze, and
Shevchenko didn't place on any events (Chudina did not compete in event finals,
but the paper doesn't say why not. I figure if she was injured, the paper would
have said so. But maybe Arkaev just told her not to bother, since she wasn't
going to be on the team. That's what he did to Aleksei Tikhonkikh mid-way
through the AA competition, which is why Aleksei didn't finish the meet -what
was the point?)
Beth

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 12 Jul 94 23:48:36 EDT
From: ***@aol.com
Subject: Trivia Questions Needed

Everyone,

As you can see, after a bit of a layoff in late June/early July, I've gotten
my second trivia wind. I figure, let's get one more set in before Goodwill.

I'm getting nostalgic hearing about Tougikova and company, and that gave me
the idea for this trivia set:

"Soyetsky Soyuz" (Gymnastics of the Soviet Union 1952-1991)

The start date is 1952 for the first USSR Olympic appearance, and the end
date is 1991 for their last appearance under the hammer & sickle (leo patches
'92 excluded <g>). All questions must fall within that period.

Go to it guys! E-mail me with all questions.

Mara

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 12 Jul 94 23:13:00 UTC
From: ***@genie.geis.com
Subject: Trivia Stuff

>Aleftina Priakhina...was the first to do-
>*double twisting yurchenko

Actually, according to _World Gym_ (1985/1, pg. 32), Elena Gurova performed
a double twisting Yurchenko at the '84 DTB Cup -- at the age of 12, I think!

Debbie


------------------------------

Date: Tue, 12 Jul 94 23:37:09 EDT
From: <***@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu>
Subject: Tuzhikova vs. Tugikova

About the spelling of Tuzhikova, American transliteration systems would
spell it how I just did. In the Russian alphabet, "zh" is one letter and has no
exact English equivalent, but it's pronounced like the "s" in "pleasure." Since
English doesn't have a letter that always corresponds to that sound, whoever
the powers-that-be who create transliteration systems are decided that "zh" was
the best rendering. But European transliteration systems often use a "g" or a
"j," since in some European languages, that presumably represents the sound.
But I know that when I see a "g" in a Russian name, I assume it's a hard "g,"
as in "girl," because the Russian language has no soft "g" or "j" sound. When
Russians have to transliterate names like "Jenny" or "Gina," they have to write
"Dzh" for the "J" or soft "G." So I think that in English it's misleading to
write "Tugikova," because that looks like the second syllable is pronounced
"geek"! But in European languages, it's probably acceptable. By the way, this
absence of a soft "g" is what is behind the alternative spellings of
Boginskaya/Boguinskaya. The first one is the American English transliteration,
and the second one is European. In some European languages, a "g" alone would
imply a "j" sound (in fact, I've heard some European commentators call Svetlana
"Bojinskaya"!), so they have to put the "u" in to indicate that the "g" is a
hard "g." But the American systems don't do that. I guess they just assume that
everyone knows that all Russian "g's" are hard. Perhaps not a good assumption,
but at least now all of you on GYMN know that! End of language lesson for
tonight.
Beth

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 12 Jul 94 23:48:44 EDT
From: ***@aol.com
Subject: USOF EF Thoughts

Just a couple of random thoughts about the Women's EF at the Olympic Festival
that I'm sure will generate some debate:

(1) I strongly disagree with the decision to allow the ladies to perform the
same vault twice.

Even if they have a 'very' weak second vault, doing the two is a good
learning experience. Having that experience might also encourage them to
learn/practice a strong second vault (after all, that certainly helped bring
Onodi and Brandy Johnson to the forefront). With the recent history of the
US ladies in vault finals (see Yelena Piskun for clarification) it certainly
can't hurt.

(2) The Deep Blue velour leos the East girls wore in EF would be very nice
for the US team as a whole (certainly much better than what they have now).
The only possible drawback is that the younger girls don't fil them out that
well on top yet. :)

Hammer away!

Mara (currently pushing a frantic Susan into her padded cell..."there's Bilo
inside [I whisper]"....GOT HER!)

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 13 Jul 1994 07:05:12 -0500 (CDT)
From: <***@owlnet.rice.edu>
Subject: USOF EF Thoughts

| (1) I strongly disagree with the decision to allow the ladies to perform the
| same vault twice.

Just a quick note about Mara's comment. I agree with her completely.
Wanted to say though that the USGF does not run the competition at the
USOF. I'm not exactly sure who does -- the USOC themselves, maybe?
Anyways, whomever used FIG Competition I (ie team competition) rules,
while the USGF uses FIG Competition III (ie event finals) rules for
all of their national competitions.

I assume that they use Comp I so that they can get higher scores and
bring in the crowds. Anyways, in international team competition (Comp
I), the gymnast is not required to display a different second vault.

The reason I know about this is that last year at the US Classic,
which was the weekend directly after the Festival, I talked to some
coaches whose gymnasts had already qualified to USAs -- they said that
with the timing of the meets, they could only pick one to attend, and
they attended the Classic because it used the same rules that their
gymnasts would be under for USAs.

Just a related tidbit...

Rachele

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 13 Jul 94 03:02:42 EDT
From: ***@aol.com
Subject: USOF Wrap-Up

[ Gymnastics Excerpt's From . . . ] OLYMPIC FESTIVAL: OUTLOOK FOR U.S. IN '96
NOT GOLDEN 7/11/94

By RAY DIDINGER
Knight-Ridder News Service

ST. LOUIS -- Highlights, lowlights and final thoughts from the 1994 U.S.
Olympic Festival ...

The countdown has begun for the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, and the
outlook for the home team is not exactly golden.

The United States is hurting in a number of sports, including several that
were American-dominated in the past, such as swimming and diving. Things look
pretty bleak in gymnastics as well, especially on the men's side.

--In gymnastics, the U.S. women have strong medal contenders in Shannon
Miller and Dominique Dawes, both 17. The men's team, however, is sinking
fast. At the 1994 World Championships, the highest U.S. finisher in the men's
all-around competition was Scott Keswick, who tied for 13th place.

The U.S. men have collected only one gymnastics medal in the last two
Olympics, and things are not going to improve with so many colleges killing
the sport due to gender equity laws.

''It's a shame -- the men's program is being hurt a great deal,'' said Bart
Connor, a member of the U.S. men's team that won the Olympic gold medal in
1984. ''What the men's team needs is a Bela Karolyi to take over the program
and give it some motivation. We don't have that now.''

Posted by Susan

------------------------------

End of gymn Digest
******************************