Just a steam-letting off moment- I get to watch the track & field competitors fight for 3 places in the Games, but swimming which used to allow 3, just grants a measly 2 slots for a country. Yes, I know it was originally done to limit US dominance in the pool back when, but the swimming world is a very different place today. If a country can sweep the top 3 places in the games today, then that would be neat and I don't care which country it would be.
How do you feel?
Former Member
Originally posted by Leonard Jansen
Most of the sports that have subjective judging as an integral part of the selection process have a "cult of personalities" that either control or dominate the sport. It's true for figure skating, ...
Figure skating. (And ice dancing.) These are almost pre-decided before the actual events! (I'm only slightly exaggerating.) A skater loses/gains ranking by messing up, or by someone placed higher than them messing up, not by doing better than the competition.
I agree-I remember people talking during the Olympics about it being a particular skater's "year". Like no matter what they did on the ice, their dues had been paid and they were going to win. After the Canadian fiasco, they said they fixed the judging, but without an objective measurement like a clock, there will always be inherent biases. Before the Wall fell, all the Soviet countries voted as a bloc so it was really hard for Americans to win in certian events.
I like swimming better-I'm only working against the clock and my own personal best.
