Information on how Oksana Chusovitina started competing for Germany have been leaked and I can’t even believe what I am reading. I knew Oksana competed for Germany so she could help her son but how in the hell is Germany allowed to offer money in exchange for switching Countries for a sport? How is this even ethical ? This could open so many doors for cheating it isn’t even funny. It just seems wrong to me.
An article on Elizabeth Price’s win at the DTB Pokel.
China beat Russia in the DTB team Challenge.
Women’s Team Final VT UB BB FX Total
1. China 29.050 28.600 29.350 27.150 114.150
Huang Huidan 14.750 14.450
Tan Sixin 14.400 11.800
Tan Jiaxin 14.900 13.850 13.200
Yao Jinnan 14.150 13.300 14.900 13.950
2. Russia 28.800 28.700 29.100 25.850 112.450
Yekaterina Kramarenko 13.800 14.200 13.950 12.800
Aliya Mustafina 15.150
Tatiana Nabiyeva 14.650 14.500
Anna Rodionova 14.150 13.400 12.900 13.050
3. Germany 28.700 29.550 25.800 27.200 111.250
Kim Bui 14.150 14.350 13.300 14.250
Sophie Scheder 14.150 15.200 12.050 12.950
Pia Tolle 12.500
Michelle Timm 14.550 12.750 11.550
4. Switzerland 27.200 24.400 25.550 25.700 102.850
Nicole Hitz 13.350 7.200 11.500 12.650
Ilaria Käslin 13.850 13.200 14.050 13.050
Sara Metzger 11.200 12.650
Jessica Diacci 11.800 10.650
Gymtruthteller's Blog 
December 3, 2013 at 1:19 AM |
Most countries pay their athletes. Jana Bieger was offered many times $$ to compete for Germany. Not sure why anyone is surprised.
December 3, 2013 at 1:39 AM |
You pay your athletes for success. You should not be able to buy an athlete from another Country.
December 3, 2013 at 1:35 AM |
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/breaking-in-the-body-tickets-8972867087
Interesting, started as a kickstarter…
December 3, 2013 at 1:35 AM |
I wish Jana would have competed for Germany so she could have gone to the Olympics
December 3, 2013 at 1:46 AM |
Jana should have gone to Germany in that case. I would have in a heartbeat.
It’s hard for me to have a solid opinion on this because if I were an athlete kicking my own ass every day in this sport just to be potentially screwed by Marta I would want to protect myself the best I could – and if that meant competing for another country I would do it (personally, and if I could get away with it). Only for the sake we all know fair isn’t fair w/Marta. But then there’s the fact the US is extremely deep and let’s be honest – if you’re at that US elite level and could compete for another country your chances are soooo much better for the sake of less competition.
Yet the reason the US is so deep is because the opportunities are different/better for the gymnasts and for their parents – let’s face it, many US gymnasts are the offspring of more “monied” parents or at least parents who can access the money for the sake of their child’s “Olympic dream” – so the reason for more competition really. If the Chinese had similar opportunities it’d be sick. But their political system is so corrupt it really doesn’t enable the opportunities for that population as it does the US population. This is a rich girls’ sport – in most cases (unless you just steal from others, like Gabby’s mom).
That being said it’s not much “fair” then that a US girl can compete for another country.
Yet if another country can just shake some money your way and you get to compete for that country, what’s the point (in Chuso’s case)? Why have a 2 per country rule or even team competition if the lines can be so blurred? I know it’s only one example here but imagine if other countries got rich and were able to take US athletes on their teams…it’d be kind of stupid. Why the 2 per country rule then, especially if you can just “belong” to any country if you’re good enough to be paid off for it.
December 3, 2013 at 3:07 AM |
Jana’s mom competed in the Olympics in gymnastics for Germany (East or West I can’t remember). Jana has dual citizenship and after nearly winning Worlds in 2006 the German federation made it very clear that she could join their team any time. Considering that she was the World runner up, I would have bet that her position was fairly secure but we know Marta. I still remember the local news here in Houston showed the announcement of the 08 Olympic team at the Karolyi ranch and Jana was an alternate. She was crying and I was sad for her. Never understood how she was left off. She had that international look that the judges loved.
December 3, 2013 at 3:18 AM |
She fell off bars both days at camp. That is the event they needed her for and she missed both routines.
December 3, 2013 at 4:00 AM
From what I remember she did not have that international look at all…she kind of had that clunky/Aly Raisman look. Plus who would she have replaced in 2008? Not Marta’s pets, and I’m sorry but Memmel was a better fit for bars. And Sloane/Pezseck were also better filler-ins for vault, beam, and even bars (at least Sloane).
December 3, 2013 at 9:42 PM
I never thought she had an ‘international look’, either. However, it’s always upsetting to see the girls that don’t make the Olympic teams. I never was a fan of Jana’s gymnastics in the slightest, but if I were her I would have booked it to Germany. Especially since I don’t think she is doing anything now…she could have had a long career for them. Wonder what the reasoning behind her not trying that was? One of the ultimate piss-off’s to Marta after she tells you you aren’t good enough would be to go to another country and wave at her from the World or Olympic medal podium while wearing a leotard that does not say USA.
December 3, 2013 at 3:30 AM |
Who would you have left home? peszecks mom is way high up in USA gymnastics, Chellsie scored better on bars, Sloan scored better on vault….??? She didnt make the 07 world team. She fell on bars at camp for 08 selection and all but her bars were mid pack at best
December 3, 2013 at 5:44 AM |
If Nastia hadn’t been Marta’s favorite I wouldn’t have been surprised if she had chosen to compete for Russia
December 3, 2013 at 12:06 PM |
Of course she would have. Nastia is about Nastia, and if more american girls would grow a pair and join other countries team sat the pre elite level because of not wanting to deal with Martas nasty bullshit, ASac might have gotten a medal for Italy last year on the vault.
December 3, 2013 at 12:31 PM
That’s a cool idea, Italy would probably have granted that too. There are a bunch of Italian football players that are technically from other countries, but have like a great grandmother who was Italian so they are eligible.
December 3, 2013 at 10:42 PM
I still maintain that is Aly is dead set on another run this quad if she comes back strong and Marta screws her, all she needs to do is pick up the phone and the Israeli team would welcome her with open arms. The Law of Return would make Aly obtaining Israeli citizenship easy breezy. It would surely be an interesting situation if USAG would give her (or any former major player) an easy release or whether they would contest it. Can you imagine Aly competing at Euros in 2015 for Israel… craziness. (I know this would never likely happen it would just be a very intriguing situation.)
December 3, 2013 at 11:12 PM
That would be a great idea. Someone should clue Aly is. The only Israel gymnast I remember is Maya Shani.
December 3, 2013 at 11:32 PM
Can that even happen? Are her parents Israeli or something? I mean, I’m Euro white trash, so could I (if I were an elite gymnast) go compete for …France or Germany since my great greats were from there? lol.
December 3, 2013 at 11:37 PM
My ethnicity is the same. A we bit of about 6 things. I could rule Hungary.The next Henrietta Onodi minus that ugly freaking move on beam.
December 4, 2013 at 1:37 AM
Under the Law of Return, anyone who is Jewish can gain Israeli citizenship, so that’s why it would be very easy for Aly to gain citizenship there. There have been some stories about other Jewish Americans who have competed/compete for Israel in part because access to teams is much easier. (The two sports I recall are a track athlete who went to Duke I believe and a show jumper.)
I’m sure if you’re an elite enough athlete with some tie to the country, most countries would make some exception to help you if you wanted to compete for them.
Alexander Shatilov is an Israeli gymnast who tied Dalton for 4th on floor at the Olympics, has a couple of world and Euro medals and won floor at Euros this year but was injured before Antwerp.
Ironically actually Mihai used to be the Israeli national team coach for a bit before he came to the US.
December 4, 2013 at 2:04 AM
I have a friend that was born in the US but had a parent from Israel and she had to join the army even though she had never been there. Its some crazy laws they have
December 4, 2013 at 2:13 AM
Oh yeah now that you mention it I had a friend in college who was born in Israel and had to join the army for a year; it was mandatory. After that he was “free” to go to college.
Not sure what the rules are, if they are the same, for girls.
December 4, 2013 at 2:19 AM
I think it is. She could ignore them but then she could never go there or she would be arrested. I think she denounced. I don’t really remember.
December 4, 2013 at 3:22 AM
Yep, being in the army is a requirement in Israel (unless you are very religious; then you can get an exemption). Guys serve for three years and girls for two. I have heard that if you were born in Israel but later move, you may still have to serve if you move back to Israel, but I’m not sure. They also have exemptions for elite athletes!
December 3, 2013 at 4:24 PM |
I don’t see a whole lot of difference in football teams bidding for a player and countries paying athletes. Azerbaijan is one country and they will only be able to get b team athletes really, so it doesn’t make much impact. In principle it’s a bit crappy I admit and I absolutely would not like if this was widespread and affected medal tables.
Oksana had a great reason to compete for Germany, it’s disgusting to read how they tried to block it. Many Irish athletes train in the UK and US because we just don’t have the facilities. We only really cater for the popular team sports, and eff the Olympic athletes. In that situation there is no money involved.
December 3, 2013 at 5:06 PM |
The difference is that teams are privately owned, countries are not.
December 3, 2013 at 5:29 PM
I know, I mean the concept. The best teams are the teams with the most money to buy players. But in gymnastics, it doesn’t impact. Azerbaijan won’t get anywhere with this really. So I don’t think it’s a big deal.
December 3, 2013 at 9:56 PM
You have no morals. First you don’t care about China using age eligible gymnasts and now you’re like, just let a Country buy what the want.lol No morals at all I tell you NONE 🙂
December 3, 2013 at 8:56 PM
Azerbaijan, Germany whomever. Who cares join another country and go to the olympics so the best people are competing regardless of nationality. Its awful that people dont get the olympic experience because of where they are from. Its discriminatory against american gymnasts and Japanese and Korean ice skaters
December 3, 2013 at 9:46 PM
You can’t forget the Chinese divers!
December 3, 2013 at 9:57 PM
I agree with your thought process. VERY much
December 4, 2013 at 12:08 AM
Lol yeah I don’t know where they’ve gotten to… :p
December 4, 2013 at 6:28 AM |
I can trace my ancestry back to king Louis Vl of France on my paternal grandmothers side so could I go compete for them lol or more recently my great great parents on my paternal grandfathers side were from
Czechoslovakia so maybe the Czech Republic or Slovakia lol although I think I’d have to be good a something to compete anywhere lol!
December 4, 2013 at 4:15 PM |
LOL JAS, I can trace back to Czech Republic/Slovakia,too…let’s be teammates hahaha
December 5, 2013 at 6:17 AM
Lol definitely!
December 6, 2013 at 2:21 AM |
I remember the years leading up to Athens in 2004. Greece put out the world that anyone with Greek heritage could apply to compete for Greece in the Games because they were having trouble fielding full teams in a lot of the events. I remember a lot of Americans and Europeans jumped at the chance, as would I.
I come from Irish potato famine immigrants in the 1850s. I suppose if I had any sports talent Ireland would be interested but I don’t.
December 6, 2013 at 2:28 AM |
Baseball was a sport where a lot of US athletes competed for them