Gymnastics Tie-Breakers

Tie-Breakers

Some of my myriad readers (LOL) may know that my 10 year old daughter is a competitive gymnast. She’s been doing gymnastics since she was three. She moved up this Spring to the Optional level 7. US competitive gymnastics starts with 3 compulsory levels where every gymnast does the exact same routines to the exact same music. It makes for some very looong meets when you hear the same dinky music over and over again about 300 times or so. In the optional levels every gymnast picks (in conjunction with her coach of course) her own music and has her routines choreographed especially for her. It’s so much more fun that way.

I know that every sport has its ups and downs, pros and cons, but I am becoming intimately familiar with the ins and outs of this wonderful sport called women’s artistic gymnastics. You may think I’m about to write about the latest crisis at the gym, and it’s a doosey. I’ll just say that there was about a week or so where things were really shaping up at my daughter’s gym, after the knee thing and then the ankle thing.

Well, I would write about it, except that I’m still processing it, and the thing is still unfolding, so we’ll just keep a positive attitude and press ahead. Once things settle down I’ll give an update on that.

But I learned something yesterday from my friend, who also happens to be the meet director for some of the largest and best gymnastic meets in Southern California. She explained to me how ties at gymnastics meets are handled differently by different states.

In California, if two or more gymnasts get the same score on an event or in the all around, then the place medal or ribbon is awarded to all of the girls with the same score as a tie. This is what we’re used to since all but two of Aimee’s meets have been in California.

I thought there was something wrong when we recently went to a meet in Las Vegas, Nevada. I don’t remember exactly, but I think it was a four-way tie on one of Aimee’s events. The ribbons and medals were awarded to the girls 2nd place, 3rd place, 4th place, 5th place (and Aimee got the 5th place ribbon.) I didn’t think it was fair since they all had the same score.

Now I understand, they use tie-breakers in Arizona. The places are awarded according to the highest all-around score. In the meet in Arizona, since Aimee only competed in 3 out of the 4 events, her all-around score was naturally low, hence the 5th place.

Tie-breakers in the all-around are awarded according to who got the highest score on any event.

I think I like the California system better. But I was glad to have that question answered. Thanks Stephanie!