Shannon Miller - 1992 Olympics EF - Balance Beam

[PhenixJoe]

Her mount is just Incredible.

[frootloops456]

How often do you see 4 elements in a single tumble series on beam anymore? BHS into 3 layouts! Nowadays you just see a stepout into a layout stepout. This routine was amazing!

[freshsprout]

Utterly amazing. I think Shannon was robbed back then.. which is sad, considering she came back to compete for the elusive AA gold when things were much harder at 19. 

[PoorPublicSchoolKid]

every skill is presented to perfection 

[AngelicPhantom]

O.o

Wow...

[Ineedthat06]

Shannon was a beast back then

[mortella23]

is it me or does miller have more difficulty then lysenko? I mean I understand miller had small errors but she had 2 tumbling series, that she stuck. and a more difficult dismount, If anything miller and lysenko should of tied for the gold medal.

[xts42389]

Back when there was still artistry to gymnastics, instead of simply jamming as many skills into a routine as possible

[makT890]

I think Lysenko deserved gold, but if she had not arched her back on that handstand, I think she would've won gold

[MrsShazziePepper1996]

I hate to watch beam routines today! They so boring and not graceful.

Love you Shannon! You' re my favorite (only) American gymnast!

[mortella23]

I think she was underscored. Thats just my opinion because she had at least 3x more diffculty then lysenko who got a 9.975! And shannon only got a 9.912? I don't see how those scores make sense.

[pappysprite]

@mortella23 I TOTALLY agree with you. The trouble is that Shannon's routine was earlier in the rotation and then the scores seem to climb after that. Shannon's routine was way more difficult and she should have won Gold - period.

[mortella23]

@pappysprite thanks! Its just that don't get me wrong I thought lysenko was great, she stuck everything, and did it with good form. But shannon had 2 tumbling passes and a much more difficult dismount. But I guess I'm happy she won silver

[ImportanceOfWhatever]

whoa that was good

[luv4cookie1]

lol everyone pause at :7 seconds also pause at :49 seconds it is an absolutley amazing split leap always 180 degrees

[markedexclusive]

I know she has a lot more difficulty than Shannon, but Shawn Johnson seems to never have stuck that dismount like Miller. Miller almost always nailed it, especially when it counted.

[andro669]

I have to agree with you on this one guys, Shannon was once again robbed of an Olympic Gold Medal here. Lysenko was way overscored, nothing over a 9.925. Miller on the other hand should have atleast scored over 9.950

[dahighbar]

Shannon was legally robbed at these olympics anybody can see that..I agree with luv4cookie1 she shoudlve been Olympic champion twice at these games AA and Bal beam

[SAX713]

here here shannon shoulda won

[luv4cookie1]

this olympic was tottaly rigged! its like the judges didnt want shannon to be NEAR a gold medal, she got a 9.912! extremley low for this routine! and her AA that vault should of been a ten and she should of gotten the gold! but of course she didnt! this was unfair judging with farvoriteism. I love shannon she should of won the gold at least 2 times, AA and beam. Her bars and floor finish were just right.

[Dunntosh]

Her beam just did not show QUITE the execution required to be given the gold.

- Miller's layout to two feet had a slight hop and was low in amplitude.

- Her left foot came off the beam in her last layout step out's landing.

- And her quarter turn to handstand had an arch and a lack of control.

Miller deserved a medal, but in my eyes? Only silver.

Lysenko showed too much control on the night, hardly a fault.

[luv4cookie1]

well i slightly see your point but, i know it was a dedcution but in my eyes i think the arch in her split quater turn makes it look that much more lovley. and i dont think her foot acually got off the beam her leg slightly turned so her center of gravity was on the beam. I do think shannon miller had more difficulty in her routine especially her fabulous full in ( inevitabal step on landing, trust me i have trained it its hard) i do guess lynesko did deserve to win.

[Dunntosh]

It was VERY close, both gymnasts had such grace, precision and unique difficulties of their own (Lysenko with her one armed hanstand balance, and Miller's first tumbling series and dismount.) I guess it's just trying to scrutinise so heavily on each gymnast to find that ever so slight - and it may not even be one in many eyes - faults.

I am also guessing that Lysenko going after Miller also had a factor in an elevation of her score.

As I said; both were worthy champions. It was too close.

[pappysprite]

I appreciate your comments, but I don't feel her left foot came off the beam on the third layout at all and I don't see a slight hop in her two footed layout. Lysenko's routine was incredible, but I think Miller should have scored equal to Lysenkos. Considering all the elements, it came down to the dismount...a double back versus a full twisting double back. If Shannon would have drawn to be the last competitor, she would have won the Gold.

[Dunntosh]

@pappysprite Her heel did, which is a sign of lack of control. And her hop was on the spot; once again, a lack of control.

However, you cannot deny that she had an unnecessary arch in her 1/4 turn to handstand, and that her layout was very low. There was also an adjustment on her dismount.

I'm sorry, but as much as I appreciate the elements in her routine, I do not think the judges were going to give it to her, based on Lyssenko's routine.

But if it was in the new scoring system...

[pappysprite]

I will give you the arch of her back, but I still respectively don't agree with your comment about a hot or her heel...I absolutely don't see it.

[Dunntosh]

It is hard; I am being too picky in many, many ways. I guess I am just trying to find anything to try to argue my point! =]

But I still think it was not the best routine under that code; it rewarded execution.

I think Tatiana showed too little errors on the day personally.

[tomsk14]

No Dunntosh as usual you are making sense to people I think... This problem was all over the Barcelona (like all olympics before it) where the winner was always so closely tied with everyone else and it was essentially who hit on the night e,g everyone working a 10.00 routine.

Much as Im an old school favourite, like most of us on here, I think the modern age of gymnastics which began in 1996 with no more 10:00's and went crazy post 2004, has its definite advantages - the winner is clear

[moopoo66]

@Dunntosh there was no hops except on the dismount and they didn't deduct for the arch i watched a longer version of the event finals compeititon and the didn't ok? It was pure favoritism that she didn't win, there was no lack of control

[lotus8998]

her tumbling passes are out of this world! sooo solid!

[SunshineSlayer]

They just don't make beam routines like this anymore. What has happened to gymnastics?

[missmouse35]

@SunshineSlayer i think it happened in 2000 when they decided to add a 90 second time limit to beam (and maybe floor?) now beam consists of packed acro routines, arm flails for dance, and maybe an original dance skill (rare)

[MeanestCoachEver]

@missmouse35 There has been a 90 second time limit on beam and floor for much longer than 2000.

[pappysprite]

I truly believe that routine should have won the gold. I thought her skills were much more difficult than Tatiana's - especially the dismount. Lu Li's routine was nice, but should have received the bronze.

[agators212]

she lost the gold because her handstand was short and obviously not held the 2 seconds and the right foot slightly moves backwards on the dismount.

[agators212]

well, she didn't deserve silver on bars. the only people that should have medaled on bars had they all hit was kim gwak su, li lu, li li. no other finalest came close to the difficulty, originallity, and form of those three gymnasts. and as for her floor, she shouldn't have medalled because it was much less difficult compared to who she tied with

[agators212]

the bars gutsu stuck her double layout dismount. shannon's full twist tuck had bad form with her legs coming apart. but nothing special about both of their routines since they were both identical in both skills performed on the bars. thats why it should have been the two chinese and korean gymnasts had all of them performed well. i still think kim gwak su should have gottan silver since her only deduction was the landing

[macassar88]

Miller didn't have the best pirouettes. Watch the last one, there is a delay.

[agators212]

in terms of floor, her toumbling was just not good enough and was greatly lacking in difficulty compared to everyone else. but overall routine, onodi had the best routine but made slight bobbles. beam i like her beam and have no problems with that. if yang bo had not made any mistake i would have given her the gold over anyone in history

[fliptopla]

You know what's funny about Lysenko and Miller is that they both went to law school.

Lysenko practices law in San Francisco today.

[bamboozeled05]

How many times did gizmo need to be brought up reallY?

[liukin95]

better than gismo??? thats just comparing them to together in a selfish way

[TuesdayPillow]

Selfish?! How does that make sense?

[scotta9072]

I wished Shannon accually won the gold

[fliptopla]

I compared both routines, and I would have given the gold to Shannon.

She had more difficulty overall, and she stuck all her skills.

The Miller was a tad overarched, but I would have given her a 9.95 over Lysenko.

I am also a fan of Lysenko, but in this case, Shannon deserved the gold.

[missjpace]

Yes! Way more difficulty. I bet Shannon would be the champion under the new code.

[auswriteratheart]

It's not a Miller. It's an Omelianchik. A Miller is an Omelianchik with a 1/2 pirouette on the hands. Second, I don't see what makes this routine so much more difficult than Lyssenko's.

[ditaesther816]

Her dismount was definitely more difficult

[auswriteratheart]

Yes, and Lysenko's mount was more difficult. And she had three major acrobatic elements instead of two, like Miller. Miller's probably was more difficult, but not by much. Not by enough for her to deserve the win over Lysenko.

[TuesdayPillow]

Lyssenko barely had a mount. If you are counting the one-armed handstand as a mount, that is incorrect. It is cool to look at though, and definitely an original movement.

Miller's routine is harder, although not by a whole lot. The dismount is what really sets them apart.

[auswriteratheart]

Oh, I completely agree. Miller's routine was certainly more difficult, but, again, as you say, it wasn't THAT much more difficult. And yes, I was counting the one arm handstand--looking back I see that was a separate element. :-) I wish she'd kept her mount from 91, because that one was awesome. I just like Lysenko's routine better because she literally makes no mistakes. Every movement is absolutely perfect. In Miller's you can see her hesitation on the 3rd layout and on the handstand.

[GymSkateFan]

Lysenko had a bobble after her third layout also and her back leg was really bent.

I think Lysenko deserved to win because she was pretty solid but looking back at her routine now she has nothing in it but that mount.

[auswriteratheart]

Um...there's no bobble. She pauses a bit with her arms up, but there's definitely no loss of balance. Miller on the other hand has a definite, recognizable hesitation--her front foot lifts up a bit. Also, Lysenko's back leg is perfectly straight. Her FRONT leg is bent a bit--but that's just the mechanics of the skill. But Lysenko's routine from 91, as I've said before, was definitely the better of the two.

[GymSkateFan]

That is a balance check and should have counted as a bobble

[MyFavoriteMusic8]

You were rude before anyone else was. The tone was what started the trouble. I am not GSFan but I have dealt with her in the past and she has always been pretty even keeled.

[GymTruthTeller]

I agree with you. Love how people are so rude behind a computer then they play all innocent when someone yell's back.

[GymSkateFan]

THANK YOU. I know I shouldn't have called the name but her attitude started me off.

[auswriteratheart]

I'm sorry if my tone came off as rude. Perhaps it was my putting words in capital letters, but that is only my way of emphasizing certain words. When I said "WHAT is a balance check" I was merely trying to get her to explain what she meant; saying "that is a balance check" means very little when I don't know what "that" is in relation to what I have just said. It's a little bit different than pointless name-calling. So I'm sorry for any confusion, my comment wasn't meant to be offensive.

[gymfan82]

There was a slight bobble in Lysenko's routine.

[darthmira]

I was always impressed that Shannon kept her full in dismount for as long as she did. She downgraded some of her skills over the years, but the full in, which is still somewhat rare now was always competed. It was so nice to see her be the first American to compete it and cap off her Olympic gold with it.

[llc831]

Sadly, no matter what she did, Shannon Miller always bugged me because of the size of her hair scrunchis. They bugged the crap out of me. I wish I could have styled her.

However, looking past that, WOW - what a heck of a routine! Her dismount was killer - lots harder and better than Lysenko's. However, she had a bobble after her series, and during her back HS 1/4 turn split-hold move. Watching them back to back, Lysenko was rightfully awarded the gold.

[LiangJackShan]

What place did she place?

[thetopdog99]

she placed second with lu li and lysenko placing first.

[maxy7792]

shannon miller i think was the best gymnast of all time

[BlackSatechi]

Shannon had more difficulty on beam than Lysenko.

And was bloody brilliant for someone so immature in gymnastics.

But as long as difficulty played as little affect in scoring as it did, Lysenko deserved to win.

[missjpace]

She's so tiny here! I'm really not sure how she couldn't have won this!

[mircoshock]

ha spaccato di brutto... oh oh oh

[jepsst]

for me its 9.95 this routine

[tigerbear9]

Shannon soooo should have won gold.

[kerstenfanatic]

I agree with that....in the AA. Not in any of the EFs. She did not deserve gold in any of the EFs, the winners on each event were the best and she didnt even deserve to medal on floor.

[gymnasticslover3000]

she is a great gymnast. You will probably not see any gymnast around the world doing a flip flop into THREE layouts, I mean WOW and then she sticks her landing do you know what her score was?

[schill2002]

I think 9.912 to tie for silver

[TuesdayPillow]

You won't see it anymore because of deductions for repetition. THere many gymnasts around this time and up to 96 that were doing FF, 3 layouts. It's still very hard, and this is my favourite beam routine of Miller's!

[JackBear79]

That is truely a sin that there is a deduction of repetition.

[TuesdayPillow]

Agreed. I don't think that was a problem with the old code - mainly finding ways to cheat the code and not emphasizing form and artistry needed to be addressed. Ah, how I miss the ten :)

[fluteyfire]

Shannon should have had gold here, without a doubt. This was the beam routine of her life, and she did it superbly.

[TuesdayPillow]

Oh, and I don't think I'd classify Bontas as a great beam worker. The Romanians may be consistent but originality and presentation has never been their thing - post 1989 worlds, that is.

[eMthegymnast]

i typed in courage gymnastic on google and this sassy twelve year old name andrea miller was defending our dearest sport of gynastics by sayting the way kids are these days those 15 and 16 year old gyymnasts stealing the spotlight of all sports should deserve to and how they have more courage than most people youd ever meet. and that they deserve to be champs. "in google and click on the first link. YOU GO ANDREA MILLER! YOU KIKEDTHAT EDITORS BUTT! (if in fact you are out there reading this)

[TuesdayPillow]

Had Miller been later in the final, she's have at least tied for gold. That was a very solid routine, and harder than Lysenko's, even though Lysenko does some very cool stuff.

[muffycat26]

How was she better? Lu Li did a nice routine, good rythym, good execution, lots of control, very good form. However it was basic compared to others, all these straddle jumps, her layout-layout was her biggest move which was only fairly good difficulty, still not that difficulty. Her routine was boring and simple compared to some of the others. I am not sure I would have had Lu even tied with Miller for silver. Her bars gold was well deserved, her beam co-silver well certainly not harsh.

[muffycat26]

I agreed with Lysenko winning the gold, but I would have given Miller the silver by herself probably, then given 1 of Bontas or Bogunskaya the bronze. Lu Li was very good but her routine was just too simple. What was with all those straddle jumps, and what was her big move, two layouts was her biggest move the whole routine and even that isnt that difficult. I know difficulty isnt everything but Lu Li was too simple, I would have had her 5th.

[haifa1983]

priceless routine. pleasure to watch her in action

[paulnick19]

This was a gold medal winning performance! Lysenko was great but Miller is astounding

[todosobretodo]

Yes, paulnick19, you are right!! I love Tatiana, but Shannon had superior difficutly, and better form. Had Lisenko and Miller switched places in the lineup of the beam final, the results would have been reserved. Oh well! Shannon undisputedly won the gold in Atlanta 96!

[gayskatingfan]

The 92 Olympics was the first I ever watched. I thought Miller should have won the AA and beam golds. I thought her bronze on bars and tie for bronze on floor were about right, but in beam and AA I would have given her gold.

However I was very impressed by Miller's sportsmanship. She never once implied she was robbed, never acted bitter or belittled the winners, and was gracious to those who beat her. Khorkina, although a great gymnast, could learn alot from Miller about sportsmanship.

[lostlyrarose]

I do really think the code now is annoying, but i think the top 3 in 92 had harder, more innovative routines than the medalists from 96. not that miller and lilia were bad in 96, but for some reasons the 92 routines look more difficult to me.

[fruityliciousrhubarb]

I agree.

[lostlyrarose]

I think a big problem with the 92 Olympics especially is that difficulty wasn't rewarded. A double-twisting yurchenko getting scored the same as full-twist? On beam, the scores seemed low for Li and Miller though. I would have given lyssenko and miller and le 9.95s as a judge, cause miller had the most difficulty. i was surprised how big a difference there was in miller and li's scores compared to lyssenko.

[mrparts]

yes. yet you see the same whiners complain that the new code is bad and the 1992 code was better hahahaha

[muffycat26]

More whining from the Miller fan club. What else is new. Miller beat out many great beam workers-Bontas, Bogunskaya, Okino, to win her silver. Lysenko had awesome routine without even small errors, and deserved to win. Miller is a great gymnast, but reading any of the Miller sections it is evident alot of Americans think Miller is the only quality gymnast anywhere in the World. With farcial events in the U.S like the American Cup that cater only to Americans no wonder.

[dragulescjew]

LOL - "the only quality gymnast anywhere in the World" Bull scheisse I say! What about Retton, Zmeskal, Okino, Moceanu, Chow, Postell, Kupets, Vise, Memmel, Patterson, Liukin, Sacramone, and Bieger?! :-)

Also, please define farcial. By the way most of us aren't oblivious to the fact that some events draw little serious competition to, say, Shawn Johnson or Nastia, for example; anymore than we are oblivious to the fact that we live under one of the most corrupt governments in history.

[skatekwan6]

are you watching the same routine as I am? I love Shannon, but she should not have won gold here. She had the slight jerk at the end of her layout series, the mistake in the split when she arched her back. Sorry, Peter Vidmar, that was a mistake, not "her way of fighting." And the dismount, legs apart. Lysenko had a PERFECT routine, better amplitude in her layout series and jumps, and a PERFECT dismout.

[allanpaolo]

i think she was deducted during her dismount... her feet were slightly apart...

[gk891]

I think Lysenko showed better amplitude in her routine. However, if Yang Bo had hit cold (which she almost never did when it counted), I think she would've won the gold (or should've in that scenario anyways).

[muffycat26]

I dont know if Yang Bo ever hit in finals. She was one of the most erratic gymnasts I ever saw.

[NastiaFan101]

She won world cup gold on beam in 1990

back when it was a very high caliber competition

[ceedum]

Shannon was at her best in this Olympics with her level of difficulty in all 4 events, especially on the beam. She should have won All Around & Beam instead of second.

[hmlilly]

She was ROBBED! She should have had the gold by a comfortable margin here.

[Ashimrak]

I absolutely agree. Shannon's difficulty level was exceptionally greater than Lysenko's degree. The judges should have awarded Miller accordingly for her difficultly, like that had done for Lysenko's double Yurchenko in the Event Finals. Shannon still stole the entire show though!

[mrparts]

yep. Lisenko got a gift, probably the judges wanted to give her a medal considering all the chances she had before and fell.

[russianskatingfan]

Lysenko did not get a gift. She did the best routine and won a gold medal for it.

[mrparts]

Lisenko's routine was well done but was lacking severely in difficulty compared to Miller's routine. Of course I dont blame Lisenko since that code was just garbage and way too easy to get 10.0 start value.

[grafgirl27]

Well that is probably why they made the code of points harder after 92.

[todosobretodo]

I'm telling you ... skating must be your thing, because gymnastics certainly isn't!

[russianskatingfan]

Lysenko's difficulty on vault was NOT rewarded. She got no extra credit at all for a double yurchenko which was given the same SV as a full yurchenko, and only won bronze.

[Ashimrak]

Her vault definitely was not rewarded. But we see the same problems in every Olympics. If it wasn't Silivas being underscored in her last rotation in the AA, she would have beaten Shushunova. If Mo Huilan didn't fall off balance beam in the first rotation of the '95 Worlds, she would have beaten Podkopayeva.

[russianskatingfan]

I dont agree about Silivas vault. She got a 9.95 and her vaults are not good enough to get a 10. Shushunova had superior vaults. I agree with you on Mo at the 95 Worlds, and Khorkina in the AA at the 2000 Olympics though. Mo falling on beam was her own fault though.

[Ashimrak]

But Silivas was one gymnast who deserved a major All-Around win. I have come to appreciate her in the past month, and it's sad that many people define Silivas for not winning a World/Olympic AA. I find her golds in the EF as redemption, like Lysenko in '92. They both deserved it

[TuesdayPillow]

Although Shushonova was a better vaulter, the vault she received a ten on was her first vault, and she had to wave her arms on the landing to control it. Silivas' vault was good for her height and power - surprisingly so - and she stuck it - and they gave her 9.95. Now if Shush had gotten a 9.95 on her first vault then nailed the next one, ten for sure.

I also think Shush got overscored on floor.

[muffycat26]

To give Shushunova and Silivas the same score on vault in Seoul is beyond insane. Shushunova's vault, whether it was her best or not, was clearly better then Silivas's. I did not think Silivas deserved a 9.95 at all, but since she did get it, Shushunova deserved a 10 easily. Thank goodness you were not a judge. I could see one arguing Silivas winning perhaps, but certainly not based on vault scores where Silivas was lucky to be as close as she was.

[TuesdayPillow]

Thank goodness I was not a judge? Why is that, because we disagree? That makes no sense. I am sure you have not agreed with every judge on the international floor - does that mean they should not be judges? I also never said Silivas should have won based on their vaults.  She should have won based on Shush being overscored on floor and a bit in compuslories.

Learn how to read for comprehension, please.

[Ashimrak]

If the vault would have been the right height in the 2000 Olympics, Khorkina would have won. I think Lysenko finally received the gold medal that she deserved. Interesting points made regarding this routine though. I just think Miller's routine should have gotten the gold, considering the artistry and level of difficulty. That old code was absolutely garbage.

[muffycat26]

Khorkina would not have won the 2000 AA had the vault been the right height since she then preceded to fall on bars. Yeah I know everyone says "if she wasnt distracted or dissapointed already" but she fell on bars in the team event. Plus with the Romanians crummy bars scores, and the inconsistency of the other ex-Soviet contenders she still had an AA medal shot atleast even with the vault, she had to know this.

[gymfan82]

She did that vault well for 1992 but it certainly wasn't well done to deserve some imaginary extra tenth due to difficulty.

[blakeb903]

how in the f***