Reflections triggered by gymnastic mistakes
In the Olympic gymnastics team competition, the Chinese team lost unexpectedly, and the Japan team won the championship. A Chinese rookie player dropped the bar many times, causing heated discussions. This player is different from traditional gymnasts in terms of thin arms. Some questioned his suitability for gymnastics, while others sympathized with the pressure he was under. What really happened in this game? Are there problems with the selection and training of gymnasts?
The story behind the unexpected loss
It was a game of ups and downs. At the beginning, the Chinese team was in good shape, and several veterans played steadily. But when the newcomer came on, the situation took a turn for the worse. The rookie made a mistake in the first event and fell off the horizontal bar. At that time, the audience was in an uproar, and I couldn't help but cover my eyes when I watched the live broadcast.
The fighter looked very nervous, and his arms were shaking slightly. He re-loaded the bar and fell it off, which made the coach very bad. I noticed that his arms were indeed much thinner than the other fighters, and I don't know if the strength was enough. In the end, he only got a very low score in this event, which directly dragged down the whole team.
In the following games, the Chinese team has been trying to catch up with the score, but has never been able to overtake the Japan team. In the end, it was a shame to lose the gold medal by a narrow margin of 0.1 points. After the fight, the rookie kept his head down, looking like he was about to cry. I think he's definitely under a lot of pressure, after all, on a big scene like the Olympics.
According to media reports, the player only entered the national team last year. He has competed in several international competitions before and has done well. But the Olympics are different after all, and it's too much pressure for newcomers. According to a person in the gymnastics industry, the athlete's body shape does not meet the traditional standards, and there was controversy during the selection. But he was well-rounded and his potential was favored, and he was selected in the end.
Controversy over the size of the players
After this defeat, the discussion about the gymnast's body shape was heated up again. The conventional wisdom is that gymnasts should be "small strongmen" with a strong body. But in recent years, there have also been a number of "alternative" players who have emerged on the international stage.
For example, Simon · Biles in United States, she is not the traditional "petite and delicate" type. Biles is 1.42 meters tall, weighs 50 kilograms, and is muscular. But with her excellent bounce and spin speed, she has set several world records. This shows that the body shape of gymnasts can actually break through the tradition.
But then again, gymnastics is a power-intensive sport after all. Competitors need to defy their own gravity to perform difficult movements, especially with arm and core strength. Like the rookie player who lost this time, the thin arm may indeed affect the performance. But you can't generalize, it still depends on the actual training and competition performance.
Some experts pointed out that modern gymnastics has become more and more comprehensive in its requirements for athletes. In addition to strength, flexibility, balance, and mental quality are all key. Like the Japan team won the championship this time, although their players are not tall, their action choreography is very creative and the difficulty coefficient is high. This may provide us with new ideas for selection and training.
Problems with the training mechanism
When it comes to selection and training, this defeat also exposed some problems. It is understood that the selection of the continental gymnastics team mainly depends on the potential and comprehensiveness of the athletes. But sometimes the psychological qualities of the players in the tournament can be overlooked.
A retired athlete posted on social media: "The pressure of the Olympics is unimaginable. I was so nervous for the first time I almost fell on the balance beam. He suggested that newcomers should be allowed to participate in more high-level international competitions to accumulate tournament experience.
There are also those who question whether our training is too rigid. The Japan team has been innovating training methods over the years, such as introducing yoga and dance elements. And we seem to be stuck in traditional strength training. One gymnastics coach said: "Judges nowadays are paying more and more attention to the fluidity and artistry of movements, and we really should keep up with the times."
However, there are also people who speak for the national team: "Losing a game does not mean that there is a problem with training. Gymnastics is a very rigorous sport, and the traditional training methods have their own reasons. There is some truth to this point of view, after all, the mainland gymnastics team has achieved so many brilliant results in the past.
Implications and reflections on the future
This defeat will undoubtedly have a profound impact on the mainland gymnastics community. It is reported that the General Administration of Sports has begun to investigate the problems existing in the training. There is news that there may be adjustments to the coaching staff to bring in some fresh blood.
Judging from the data, the mainland's advantage in the Olympic gymnastics event is being eroded. At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, we also won seven gold medals. But by Rio 2016, the number of gold medals had dropped to two. The defeat in the team competition was a wake-up call.
But don't be too pessimistic. At last year's World Championships, mainland players also won the men's all-around championship and runner-up. The women's team also has newcomers who stand out and show good strength. The key is to learn from the lessons learned and keep pace with the times while maintaining the traditional strengths.
Speaking of which, there were similar "accidents" in our team in 2008. At that time, a rookie player made frequent mistakes in the competition, which almost affected the team championship. But then he quickly grew up and became a regular player. I hope that this rookie player can also overcome the setbacks and shine in the future.
Personal opinion
As a gymnastics fan, I feel that this loss, although regrettable, also gave us an opportunity to reflect. Gymnastics should not rest on its laurels, but should evolve with the times. Whether it's the size of the player or the training method, it can break with tradition. Of course, this requires a process and cannot be rushed.
Finally, I would like to say that don't be too that rookie player. It's normal to make mistakes at the Olympics, but who hasn't missed a moment? Hopefully he can adjust his mentality and prove himself again in the future games. Gymnastics is a beautiful sport, and I believe that the Chinese team will continue to bring us wonderful performances!