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Thread: Olympic 2008 - Women's Gymnastics

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    Senior Member pandamao's Avatar
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    Default Olympic 2008 - Women's Gymnastics

    Women's gymnastic contenders are restricted on age, must be 16 the year of the competition. Obviously the Americans are complaining about how the Chinese gymnast have a team where 4 of them look significantly underage, claiming they appear 10 - 12 years old.

    Since we are all Asians, my question is - don't we all experience the same questioning regarding our true age? Asians have always aged well and I cannot believe this is only obvious now. Those girls look young, but they look no different from what I look when I was growing up.

    Please, knock some sense in me if I'm wrong. Open to all comments.

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    Senior Member sarakoth's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by pandamao View Post
    Women's gymnastic contenders are restricted on age, must be 16 the year of the competition. Obviously the Americans are complaining about how the Chinese gymnast have a team where 4 of them look significantly underage, claiming they appear 10 - 12 years old.

    Since we are all Asians, my question is - don't we all experience the same questioning regarding our true age? Asians have always aged well and I cannot believe this is only obvious now. Those girls look young, but they look no different from what I look when I was growing up.

    Please, knock some sense in me if I'm wrong. Open to all comments.
    Sore losers . . . .

    The Chinese team has been keeping a good lead.

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    Senior Member xJadedx's Avatar
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    I was watching the NBC coverage of the gymnastics. Other than the amazement at how young the athletes look, the comments were pretty positive.

    I think it's just weird to many people, because firstly, gymnasts tend to look smaller and younger than their age, and Asians tend to look younger than their age as well, so you put the two together and it just looks very young. I was really surprised too when I heard that those girls were 16. I thought they were like 10.
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    Senior Member pandamao's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jaded WenEr View Post
    I was watching the NBC coverage of the gymnastics. Other than the amazement at how young the athletes look, the comments were pretty positive.

    I think it's just weird to many people, because firstly, gymnasts tend to look smaller and younger than their age, and Asians tend to look younger than their age as well, so you put the two together and it just looks very young. I was really surprised too when I heard that those girls were 16. I thought they were like 10.
    I watched both the American and HK version ... commentators are always bias.

    Hacken Lee, during the synchronizing dive, commented on the size of those divers saying that's probably the cause of their poor execution. Lol. I do think size has to do with it since it has shown that most gold medalist in diving have very little body fat. T. Dumais has about 6% body fat entering the competition. Laura Wilkenson for the female platform dive is pretty small herself.

    Regardless, I dislike the age comment and accusation of Chinese forging documents to allow these Chinese dolls in the competition.

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    Senior Member xJadedx's Avatar
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    From the coverage I've watched, none of them said anything like Chinese forging the documents, so I don't know what channel you got that from.

    The commentators gave very positive feedback on the performance of the atheletes, which is one of the most important things. They were unbiased about presenting the performance.

    With the atheletes looking the way they do, it's not surprising that people are going to comment on their age and appearance. Just because people comment on something like the atheletes looking younger than their real age, which is pretty much apparent to anyone who watched, doesn't people actually believe or are implying that they're underage. I myself was pretty surprised too at how young they looked.
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    Senior Member pandamao's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jaded WenEr View Post
    From the coverage I've watched, none of them said anything like Chinese forging the documents, so I don't know what channel you got that from.

    The commentators gave very positive feedback on the performance of the atheletes, which is one of the most important things. They were unbiased about presenting the performance.

    With the atheletes looking the way they do, it's not surprising that people are going to comment on their age and appearance. Just because people comment on something like the atheletes looking younger than their real age, which is pretty much apparent to anyone who watched, doesn't people actually believe or are implying that they're underage. I myself was pretty surprised too at how young they looked.
    NBC. Their quotation was not exactly "I think the Chinese government forged their papers." Contrary, they implied this message, "The controversy now is, some people think the Chinese government forged the documents." Articles all over reputable sources have made such comments and the commentators are reinforcing the message by repeating it to the viewers. Granted, the media played it off smart by not putting any claims to NBC endorsing suchmessage but still had a negative connotation.

    Based on the prelim performance, American commentators had no other choice but to be positive and supportive.

    On a side note: I would prefer less hostility in your replies. Don't appreciate the way you ask things, "Don't know what channel you watch" versus, "which channel were you watching that said that?" Not mandating you or anything. Just an fyi on why my message might be more aggressive to your responses.
    Last edited by pandamao; 08-10-08 at 10:07 PM.

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    Senior Member xJadedx's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by pandamao View Post
    On a side note: I would prefer less hostility in your replies. Don't appreciate the way you ask things, "Don't know what channel you watch" versus, "which channel were you watching that said that?" Not mandating you or anything. Just an fyi on why my message might be more aggressive to your responses.
    I don't see how I was being hostile or aggressive, since it was by no means my intention.
    All I meant was "I don't know which channel you got that from" since well, I really didn't know. I suppose I could have phrased it as a question, since I didn't realize that words on a computer screen can't convey curiosity or questioning.
    But do believe me that it was in no ways meant to offend or be hostile toward you. I mean, I don't even know who you are, so why would I be hostile towards someone I don't even know?
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    Senior Member pandamao's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jaded WenEr View Post
    I don't see how I was being hostile or aggressive, since it was by no means my intention.
    All I meant was "I don't know which channel you got that from" since well, I really didn't know. I suppose I could have phrased it as a question, since I didn't realize that words on a computer screen can't convey curiosity or questioning.
    But do believe me that it was in no ways meant to offend or be hostile toward you. I mean, I don't even know who you are, so why would I be hostile towards someone I don't even know?

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    Quote Originally Posted by sarakoth View Post
    Sore losers . . . .

    The Chinese team has been keeping a good lead.
    Agreed.

    Seems like the US always has something to complain about for each Olympics.
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    They do look quite young for 16, but whatever. There are people who are in their 20's and 30's who can pass for a 15 year old. They just have very small frames.

    Btw, what qualifies Hacken Lee to be an Olympics commentator? Or is just being a top celeb enough?
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    Senior Member pandamao's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by flyingfox2002 View Post
    They do look quite young for 16, but whatever. There are people who are in their 20's and 30's who can pass for a 15 year old. They just have very small frames.

    Btw, what qualifies Hacken Lee to be an Olympics commentator? Or is just being a top celeb enough?
    Lol - he was as stupid as me! I don't understand TVB. I only watch it because I'm so freakin impatient and want to watch it immediately. =)

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    Senior Member xJadedx's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by flyingfox2002 View Post
    They do look quite young for 16, but whatever. There are people who are in their 20's and 30's who can pass for a 15 year old. They just have very small frames.

    Btw, what qualifies Hacken Lee to be an Olympics commentator? Or is just being a top celeb enough?
    Who the heck is Hacken Lee is probably another good question.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jaded WenEr View Post
    Who the heck is Hacken Lee is probably another good question.
    Isn't he a singer? Is he doing double duty as a commentator as well?

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    Senior Member Ren Ying Ying's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by pandamao View Post
    NBC. Their quotation was not exactly "I think the Chinese government forged their papers." Contrary, they implied this message, "The controversy now is, some people think the Chinese government forged the documents." Articles all over reputable sources have made such comments and the commentators are reinforcing the message by repeating it to the viewers. Granted, the media played it off smart by not putting any claims to NBC endorsing suchmessage but still had a negative connotation.
    on top of that "you judge for yourself" and asserts own opinions "she does not look 16 to me". of course, he's stating his own opinions, but there's a sense of disbelief in his words.

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    Quote Originally Posted by flyingfox2002 View Post
    Btw, what qualifies Hacken Lee to be an Olympics commentator? Or is just being a top celeb enough?
    I was going to ask the same question. Don't TVB have specialists on the sport to comment on?
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    Quote Originally Posted by Canuck21 View Post
    I was going to ask the same question. Don't TVB have specialists on the sport to comment on?
    I guess in HK, if you're a celeb and you're a fan, that makes you an expert. Not much talent there anyhow. It's just one city, so you can't quite fault them for that.
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    Senior Member jadebunny9's Avatar
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    They don't look 16 at all, period, and I'm Asian myself. I read that it was actually the Chinese press themselves that actually brought up the whole issue...or was it not? Not sure who to believe, but if these girls really did age 2 years within a matter of a few months through a change of birthyears on their newly issued passports, I think that's pretty messed up.

    This is something that these athletes have worked on for 4 long years...and yet their careers are defined within only a matter of minutes. I want these athletes to win fair and square.

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    Senior Member 999roses's Avatar
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    Does being young have some kind of advantage in gymnastics? You're more flexible or something?

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    You are more flexible and you weigh less, so it's easier to complete your routines. You also tend to be more fearless when you're younger, and you're more willing to take risks and do harder, more complicated moves.

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    Senior Member Ren Ying Ying's Avatar
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    i wonder though...have they not competed in previous international events before?

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