Is Jordyn Wieber Ruling Controversial; or Standard Olympic Fare?
At age 13, Jordyn Wieber was the 2009 American Cup champion. When she was 15 at the 2011 American Cup making her senior international debut, she overtook defending champion, Aliya Mustafina from Russia. Since 2008 she has lost just two all-around competitions. And now at the age of 16, everything she has worked so hard for has slipped away after not qualifying for the Olympics. So what’s the big deal, save for the fact that she’s one of the best gymnasts in the world? It’s a rule thing. And as in any sports, when rules throw the balance of things off so drastically, controversy is born.
Yesterday during the qualifying round, Wieber just didn’t bring it all to the floor. She was almost out of control on the balance beam, stepped out of bounds continuously, and performed landings that were less than confident. The mistakes continued to pile on, as Wieber continued to look more uneasy throughout her showing. It was all Aly Raisman and Gabby Douglas, Wieber’s American teammates, needed to move easily pass her and onto the final round on Tuesday; and that’s exactly what they did. Wieber, now headed back home rather than to the medal podium, was understandably inconsolable at the event. Still, why the controversy?
Perhaps it’s because Wieber should be able to get the medal everyone so heavily favored her winning. Or maybe it’s because had it happened ten years ago, Wieber would be moving along with both of her teammates to the final tomorrow.
As the rule currently stands, only two members from one country’s team can move on to the finals, and on Sunday those two were Raisman and Douglas. So, should the Olympic Committee have overlooked the fact that Wieber had a bad day, and somehow changed the rulings to allow her in? Or is being your best under the most extreme pressure all just part of being an Olympic athlete; and you need to be able to perform when it’s your time?
The latter argument might stand up, but it was just two Olympics ago that three teammates were allowed in from each country. Had that been the case Sunday, Wieber would have been celebrating with her teammates today. As it turns out, the Team U.S.A. athletes that did advance aren’t doing too much celebrating either.
“I was really surprised,” said Raisman after the competition. “I feel awful because she wanted it so bad. But she should still feel proud because she’s an Olympian. We have to stay calm and focus on team finals.”
Wieber was far too upset to speak to reporters through her tears directly after the competition, but she did release a statement afterwards. “It is a bit of a disappointment. It has always been a dream of mine to compete in the all-around final of the Olympics.”
Should Wieber have been allowed to move on? Are the rules dated? Or are the new rules put in place to create equality on the floor working just as they should?
Categorized in: Olympics