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Imperfect Olympic judging systems make perfection impossible
Evan Lysacek of the United States celebrates after winning the gold medal in the men's figure skating free skating on day 7 of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics at the Pacific Coliseum on February 18, 2010 in Vancouver, Canada. Photo courtesy of Matthew Stockman/Getty Images
Written by Kelly Souza - Staff Writer
Olympians represent those who have essentially perfected their sport, the best professional athletes from countries around the world who are qualified to represent their country on the world stage. However, according to many sports’ judging criteria, these world-class athletes do not, and perhaps can not, perform to the standard of perfection.
Judging systems that have been transformed to keep up with evolving sports has made the ‘perfect performance’ fundamentally impossible. In both the Winter and Summer Olympics athletes strive for flawlessness, yet in the judges’ eyes, never maintain it. As the Olympics only increase in popularity with over 87 million viewers tuning-in Saturday February 19, which is 16 million more than the last winter games, the perception of success and optimum performance in modern day athletics is surely altered, especially in the eyes of a growing teenage audience (tvbythenumbers).
Controversy has been swirling around the judging systems in many Olympic sports including gymnastics, figure skating, and snowboarding for both the ’08 Beijing Olympics and the Vancouver ’10 Olympics.
Former two-time IOC (International Olympic Committee) Vice President Richard Pound spoke out concerning the unjust IJS judging system for figure skating. He claims that figure skating has become a “nightmare sport,” and that even he does not have “a complete understanding of how the scoring system works now.” Although the judging in figure skating is anonymous, a change from previous Olympic games, it allows leeway for less accountability and subjectivity.
The controversial scoring system took another hit when Evgeni Plushenko, a Men’s Figure Skater, claimed inadequate judging was responsible for his silver medal and loss to rival American Evan Lysacek. However, current IOC President, Jacques Rogge, claims that Plushenko’s behavior was merely a sign of his discontent. “Some times in disappointment, you express things you wouldn’t express at another time,” said Rogge.
Anthony Seago, a sophomore at GHS and former Junior National gymnast, personally knows the effects of viewing harsh judging in the Olympics. “Olympic athletes train so hard and the sport is progressing so fast, so should the judging system,” said Anthony. Watching the best athletes in his sport perform at their optimum potential, but not being rewarded for it affects his view of the sport both as an athlete and a fan. The Olympics influence teenagers’ mindsets whether a participant in the sport, or just a fan.
Clearly, changes need to be made to the Olympic judging system. The Olympics are an opportunity for athletes from around the world to showcase their impeccable talents, but however, judging systems prohibit them from being rewarded for them, thereby holding back the Olympics from progressing as the most popular sporting event in the world.
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