Fei Cheng (CHN) : 2008 Beijing Olympics : EF VT

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Sports

[markedexclusive]

It sucks to fall on your own vault in the event final. It sucks even more to see someone win with the same vault.

[TwisterFlipp95]

dont forget she has 2 high difficulty vaults and her first one was AMAZING.

[intldawn]

@ravel111 You're right, there must be a balance between difficulty and execution. In the old days, you didn't get full credit for a move if you had too many deductions. Similarly, maybe they could "devalue" the difficulty score for vault if there are too many deductions. This is too complicated, I know, so it won't happen. Brilliant as Fei is, I would argue she didn't earn that high difficulty score because the vault was so poorly performed. I don't know. It's just a thought.

[ravel111]

@intldawn well so what is the solution to this scoring system? If it's all about perfect execution then most gymnasts won't take the challenging vaults/skills; where would the motivation be for gymnasts to perform risky and difficult skills? Maybe if the deduction for a fall would be more, like a full two points off?

[intldawn]

@ravel111 I've watched gymnastics for more than 20 years. Indeed, the lay of the land used to be that falling takes you out of contention for medals. This scoring system gives credit for trying something hard even if you miss, which isn't right. The vault wasn't all bad but it was bad enough. Missing her block is a major technical error and she landed on her knees. I don't blame the judges for her score. But, call me a purist, there's something wrong with winning a medal even when you fall, IMO.

[ravel111]

@intldawn You're simplifying the situation. Cheng's second vault wasn't all bad; she had good body position and form, legs glued together, etc. She got everything except for the missed block and her landing. She got credit for the parts she did right, got MAJOR deducations for what she did wrong. and no, it is NOT a fundamental rule of gymnastics that if you fall, you're done. Where are you getting this rule from? I thought a fall = deduction, nothing more.

[brycehelmer]

Im going to put this out and i dont care if you say Sacramone deserved it. Cheng Fei had a .2 higher start value on her first vault than Sacramone. Fei's second vault had a .7 higher start value than Sacramone. This is only if Cheng Fei landed or put at least one foot for landing to get counted for it. I believe her second vault she did not have a foot down to land it so it got counted for it along with a serious deduction, even though she didnt land it in my opinion.

[intldawn]

All this time later and it still bugs me. It's a fundamental rule of gymnastics that if you fall, you're done. It isn't right that Fei could do one extraordinary vault and one poor one and still outscore Alicia who did two terrific ones, albeit less difficult. You should not get credit for doing something difficult if you miss it.

[2011almada]

You are correct with the queens. Love them both

[ParanoidAndroidDA]

@ccaruso81 Hong un Jong does the same thing as does Jordyn Wieber. I wonder if it's the vault or the way the athletes perform the vault.

[thejadedancer24]

LOL, that was funny when she just randomly yelled. Ha ha.

[thejadedancer24]

I think it it was really stupid that she won the medal instead of Alicia Sacramone. Alicia landed BOTH of them perfectly and she fell on the last one. I love Cheng Fei but I don't think she deserved this medal for vault.