Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!cca!ima!inmet!mazur From: mazur@inmet.UUCP Newsgroups: net.misc Subject: Re: USA Nordic Combined RIPOFF! - (nf) Message-ID: <926@inmet.UUCP> Date: Thu, 23-Feb-84 23:48:51 EST Article-I.D.: inmet.926 Posted: Thu Feb 23 23:48:51 1984 Date-Received: Sat, 25-Feb-84 04:13:47 EST Lines: 55 #R:proper:-101400:inmet:6400090:000:2427 inmet!mazur Feb 22 14:57:00 1984 1) If conditions, such as windspeed, were different on the two days of ski flying then it would be unfair to compare results achieved on different days. Assuming that the event had to be postponed, forcing everyone to jump again seems fair. The event was not postponed; it was restarted. Actually 3/4 of the skiers had skiied the first run when one of the last skiers landed past the critical point on the slope (where the grade of the slope flattens out). This is considered to be dangerous. Therefore, the jumps were restarted from a slightly lower takeoff platform to reduce speed. 2) In a two-part combined event, placing low in the first part usually wrecks your chances of winning in the combined standings. That's the nature of the game. 3) If the American competitors were so great, why did they only place 16 and 24 on the second day of jumping? Sounds like they were done out of a chance at an upset, but not cheated out of a richly deserved medal. Actually, Kerry Lynch (who managed to finish 3rd in the cross country portion of the event) was *favored* to win the gold. I am willing to believe that the decision to delay the Nordic Combined event was influenced *in part* by the standings, but that's it. It's a heartbreaker for the athletes involved, but not a major conspiracy or injustice. I disagree. There have been several injustices in just these Winter Games. One other specific instance I can recall was in the final judging for the Ice Dancing competition. The US pair was third going into the long program. They chose to do a dance to "Scheherazade". They received good marks except by the Italian judge who chose to give them a 5.6 (out of 6.0). The US pair lost the bronze medal to the Russians who were in 4th place. The Italian judge, when pressed for a reason for her low mark, pulled out the Ice Dancing rule book and pointed out that couples are required to change tempos in their long program. The injustice? England's Torvill and Dean (easily the best ice dancer's in the world) did their long program to Ravel's "Bolero". No major tempo change that I can recall. The Italian judge gave this pair (who performed *after* the US pair) a 6.0, a perfect mark. While there may have been no conspiracy to rob the US couple of the medal it certainly seems a flagrant injustice. Beth Mazur {ima,harpo,esquire}!inmet!mazur