Questions and Answers
I wanted to take a few minutes to answer some of the questions below. I know people are very passionate about the 2004 Paul Hamm situation. The fact is there were no winners in that whole ordeal. Neither Paul Hamm nor Yan Tae Young had anything to do with the judging. And the judges called it as they saw it. Gymnastics is a subjective sport and as athletes we know that going in. Sometimes the judges miss something and other times they don’t, it’s part of the sport. At the time, there was no “instant replay.” However; there was a procedure in place for coaches to make an inquiry. Unfortunately the inquiry was not made in the allotted time. At the end of the day there were errors made by judges and coaches but the athletes are the ones that suffer. And that’s the most disappointing part.
As for the question about Shawn Johnson’s training regimen, it’s the same as anything, everyone is different. It’s unfortunately not as simple as looking at the hours trained. Some athletes take their time during workouts but do them for longer. Others like to get in and get out as fast as possible. Some athletes bodies just work better with less training. And some athletes need that constant repetition. I think the best thing to do is figure out what works best for you personally. For me it changed throughout my career. When I was young and training for my first Olympics I really needed the repetition and the long hours. As I trained for my second Games (as a 19 year old lady) I worked on quality versus quantity.
And now for the Olympics! We?ve had two fairly successful qualifying rounds. The men have taken several blows with Paul Hamm and then his twin brother Morgan both resigning from the team due to injuries. I know there is a lot of speculation going on about how bad the injuries and why they stepped down. At the end of the day, I know both of these athletes had the best interest of the team at heart. As an athlete you don’t want to go into the Olympic Games taking up a spot if you aren’t in good form. Especially now with the 3 up 3 count rule, if you were suddenly not able to compete, your entire team would be out. Not something I’d want hanging over my head.
I am excited for Sasha (Alexander) Artemov and Raj Bhavsar who both have trained so hard and been through so much to get here. Jon Horton is within striking distance of a medal individually as is Sasha on Pommel Horse. But right now they are focused only on the team medal. Even though they are in 6th place, anything can happen. If every country hits it will be extremely difficult for them to medal, but we’ve seen some strange things happen with the 3 up 3 count format.
As for the girls, they have taken some blows as well. Tonight we’ll watch the qualification round. If you haven’t seen or heard anything stop reading here!!!
The girls place second after a strong China. Chellsie has had a tough go of it with a recent ankle injury and Samantha Peszek injured her ankle right before the girls walked out for the meet. For all the talk of such a deep Women’s team, we are now looking at only a couple of all-arounders (Nastia and Shawn) and Alicia Sacramone who competes all events except uneven bars. It’s a good thing Chellsie is able to step in on that event even with her ankle injury. With the few girls left, we still have an incredibly strong team. Shawn won the qualifier with Nastia placing second. And the 3 up 3 count rule will likely work to their advantage. I’m on pins and needles to see how they fair. Now I know, at least to some degree, how my mother felt watching me all those years!!
For more news, updates and information on Shannon Miller, please check out www.shannonmiller.com
August 11th, 2008 at 9:45 pm
Shannon,
Thank you for answering the question about training regimens. It does seem that Shawn simply doesn’t need as many hours in the gym, although I have also heard her say that she works out hard in those four hours or so.
The Olympics have been very exciting thus far. My husband and I are currently watching the men’s final. It’s interesting watching with my husband, because he is not generally a fan of sports, while I’ve followed gymnastics very closely for over 20 years. I’ve already had to explain to him that Kevin Mazeika is not related to Justin Spring even though they look alike;)
I’m thrilled that we can actually see the competitions live. Sasha (Alexander) Artemov’s pommel horse routine was unbelievable. I felt badly for Joe Hagerty. I don’t believe in all the years I’ve followed gymnastics (which is about 20 years now) that I’ve seen a gymnast step out of bounds while simply standing there. That was a shock.
Congrats to the USA Men’s Team on their bronze medal finish. Can’t wait to see the women’s team final tomorrow.
August 27th, 2008 at 6:47 pm
Shannon - you were my absolute idol and inspiration as a gymnast, and for my wider approach to many things with your grace and work ethic. It can be somewhat gutting, then, when one realises one’s idol might possibly be a Republican. So hurray for Shawn Johnson! A Democrat gymnast! At last! Thank God for that! Go Shawn you brave and clever young woman. What a star!
August 29th, 2008 at 3:01 pm
If Shannon were to admit tomorrow that she’s actually an alien from another planet or if a horrible secret from her past is revealed, at the end of the day I’d look past all that and still hold her in fairly high regard, considering she’s already accomplished so many things most of us could only dream about in our entire life time! To me, Democrats and Republicans are all the same in the end… If you’ve seen the south park episode where they have a choice to vote for a “Turd Sandwich” and a “Giant Douche” that pretty much explains it all… assuming you actually have a sense of humour of course…
September 2nd, 2008 at 2:57 pm
Christopher - I was just pleased after the disappointment (for me) of the actively pro-Bush Kerri Strug, etc. I disagree on just one thing with you - of course the people in either party are by and large much of a muchness, but the policies aren’t. And to some extent you are defined by the policies you believe in: otherwise Dick Cheney would be no different from, say, Martin Luther King. Policies matter.
But yes the policy on Shannon I can agree on - you’re fanatastic Shannon, long may you flip and whirl!
September 7th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
I never bring politics into athletics. I believe that is a problem we’ve had before with previous Olympics (boycott of 1980/1984 for example). It doesn’t matter to me one way or the other what party Shannon chooses to be a part of. I admire her for her athletic abilities, elegance, and grace. Her political affiliation is her business.
September 9th, 2008 at 6:45 pm
Politicians are all the same. To act like the Democratic party is somehow above the republicans is a joke. Both parties are about getting themselves elected. They tell you what they think you want to hear and then they do as they want.
John Kerry didn’t show up for 85% of the votes in Massachusetts when he was trying to become President but that didn’t stop people from trying to get him elected. Living in Massachusetts I can tell you he is the biggest two faced blow hard on the scene. Both parties have blow hards.
Regardles Shannon has never actively campaigned for either party and if she decided to that would be her right as a citizen of the United states of America. To not be a fan of someone because you disagree with their opinion is just stupid.
You should be a politician Beth. You played both sides of the issue in both your posts.lol
January 2nd, 2009 at 1:27 pm
Shannon Lee Miller I saved you from the horrible fire and I brought you back from death. Will you Marry me?