by OL » Fri Aug 03, 2012 2:56 am
Gymnastics is kind of a maddening event. Obviously there's a lot of technical factors to take into consideration, which is ultimately what the athletes are judged on, but there's also the matter of personal style.
Caught the end of the women's gymnastics floor competition earlier, and I have to say, I quite enjoyed watching the Russian performances more than those of the Americans. Something about them just felt smoother and more fluid in a lot of ways. Aside from the obvious flips and tumbles, the in-between movements of the Russians felt more like classical dance, which I liked a lot, as opposed to the goofier-looking moves of their competitors.
All were amazingly talented, obviously, but if I had to choose, I'd say I'd rather watch the Russians.
Just another case of the "best" not necessarily matching up with "favorites", I guess.