Gymnastics: painful-looking hairstyles, success, failure, ups, and downs.

Yes, I am fully aware that this is a book blog made by the one and only me, BUT BUT BUT it's my blog right? I can do whatever I want with it.  So I'm making Leopard Kitty books mainly a book blog but also a blog for random thoughts I have.  And how can I not post about the Summer Olympics? They're the big thing that's going on right now so I just have to make a few comments on them.
   To be specific, I'm talking about women's gymnastics.  As some of you may know, the women's gymnastics concluded last night with the individual beam and floor exercises. Warning: I'm going to be annoying and like NBC for a moment.  If you don't want to know the results for whatever reason of the gymnastics, read no further.  Also you can't get mad at me for spoiling it for you because I am warning you this very second :) Jordyn Wieber, age 17, ended her Olympics with yet another mistake on the floor, when she stepped out of bounds, just like at the Olympic trials.  But team captain Aly Raisman, 18, won an unexpected bronze and a well-deserved gold, as you know (probably!).
    Team USA went through their ups and downs through the Olympics--everyone went crazy happy for Gabby Douglas when she won the all-around gold, and for Aly Raisman when she won the floor exercise gold, but then there were the disappointing facts of McKayla Maroney, who messed up on the vault, and Jordyn of course.
Despite all the disappointments Team USA went through in the 2012 Olympics, generally they seem to be pretty optimistic about their careers.  After McKayla, 16, messed up at the vault after her near-perfect performance just days before, she tweeted, "Disappointed on how today turned out, but everything happens for a reason!! #noregrets.. Plus, the silver metal is actually pretty sick!!"    After endless criticisms of Gabby Douglas's hair, Gabby (age 16) eventually had a sense of humor about it, saying that it was ridiculous but funny that people should criticize her hair, seeing as she had just won a gold metal.  Typical of people, right? To immediately find something to comment negatively on after a huge success?  People criticized Gabby's hair because they thought it didn't look "natural"--that she should rock a style such as curls. Very true--her hair isn't natural, BUT seeing as Gabby's a gymnast, it's essential for her hair to be the least of her issues as she's flipping around, whether it be on the uneven bars, the beam, or really whatever she's doing.
   Speaking of gymnastics hairstyles, I can't help but think that those hairstyles look unbearably painful. Unlike critics, I have no problem with the way that they style their hair other than the fact that it looks as if their eyes are about to pop out of their heads because it's so tight.  I completely understand the need for hair to be out of your way if you're a serious gymnast (well, even non-serious gymasts!) but doesn't it hurt? If you're a gymnast can you tell me if it does or doesn't? I'm a pretty serious dancer and though I know that there might be less movement ( at least constant movement)  in dance I feel no need to tie my hair so darn tightly!! It just looks utterly painful.  Especially Aliya Mustafina's hair (see above picture).
   So after that brief paragraph about gymnast hairstyles, I'm going to talk more about critics.  People criticize McKayla Maroney because they think that she's a brat, or too sarcastic-looking, that she always has a grim and superior expression on her face, and whatever other people want to say about her.  I personally just laugh at these people.  I think that athletes need to be intense about their work so I have no complaints about McKayla's attitude.  I actually kind of love her attitude.  When she puts on that "game face" it doesn't look like anything can stop her and that's what I like about her.  When she walked out before her mess-up on the vault, even then she had a smirk on her face and her nose was slightly turned up.  While some people look at that behavior as "bratty", I think it's actually pretty awesome.
  So, what do you think about all of this? Gymnast hair? McKayla's "snobby" attitude? Jordyn's disappointing Olympics? Aly's success? I'd love to hear your comments. :)

London 2012 Olympics In Full Swing

So I've decided to do something a bit different from my usual posts (book reviews, general thoughts) and post something completely unrelated to what I made this blog for.  Hope you guys don't mind ;)

Unless you're living under a rock, you know that the 2012 London Summer Olympics are taking place right this moment.  Let me tell you that I've been to London many times. It's my favorite place in the entire world, and that is saying a lot for me, because I have a lot of favorite places.  London is obviously known for its beauty and sophistication.  I love everything about London--the shops, the "tubes" (subways), the way it rains nearly every day, Wimbledon in June (tennis tournament), and currently, the Olympics.   Every day I watch them--I just can't seem to get enough of the gymnastics and the swimming and the beach volleyball.  What is the deal with this?  I only care about these three sports once every 4 years! After the Olympics are over I really could care less what's happening in the world of gymnastics.  But then when the Olympics pop up 4 years later everything about the sports matters. Why is that?

Next subject. I'm sure you've heard of the women's badminton scandal by now.  My family had a lengthy debate last night at dinner whether or not their choice was ethical and whether or not they should have been disqualified.  In case you're lost on me, let me explain.  South Korea was playing against China in women's badminton.  They were, both of them, purposely trying to LOSE the game in order to not play the other Chinese team which would mean that they would not qualify, should they lose to the better Chinese team.  Therefore, they were disqualified from the Games. It was basically, as people described, "the worst badminton that they had ever seen".  How bad is bad, do you ask? Well, watch the video for yourself on Youtube. It's pretty dang bad.  Sneak peak of the video (since I'm not very tech savvy, I can't figure out how to put an actual video in this post):

Was their decision ethical? Did they do the right thing? Was it  pure manipulation? Or was it just, well, being crafty with their game plan?  I've heard a lot of different opinions on this one. My dad's argument was that yes, it was perfectly fine for them to do.  When my mom disagreed, he responded, "Okay, let me give you an example.  When Michael Phelps didn't give everything he had on a more unimportant race to save his energy on the important race, was this ethical?" Everyone agreed, that, sure, it was fine for him to save his energy.  "But it's completely different," said the opposing side.  "How so?" responded my dad.  This debate went on to be a complete roller coaster ride.  It seemed it was the boys against the girls.  The girls (my sister, my mom, and I) think that this was unethical.  My dad and brother think it was ethical.  Finally my dad said, "Let's ask Jon Stewart. I'm sure he'll have something to say about this whole situation." As it turns out, Jon Stewart didn't have anything to say about the badminton but a lot to say about NBC and the way they sort of alert you on Olympic spoilers, but, um, sort of don't. 

If you're interested to hear more on the NBC spoilers, click on the link: http://www.theatlanticwire.com/entertainment/2012/08/spoiler-alert-jon-stewart-isnt-happy-olympics-coverage/55374/

Enough about Olympic complaints.  The games are great! They're basically the highlight of the summer.  Luckily we have excellent coverage more than 12 hours a day.  A couple things that us Americans can celebrate:

 Missy Franklin won a gold medal for swimming, breaking the world record for the 200-meter backstroke in 2 minutes, 4.06 seconds.  It was 0.75 quicker than Kirsty Coventry in 2009.  As for the silver and bronze metals, Anastasia Zueva of Russia won the silver medal while fellow American Elizabeth Biesel won the bronze.

Gabrielle Douglas won a gold medal in gymnastics over Russians Viktoria Komova and Aliya Mustafina.  Sadly, her American teammate did not medal but Americans can be content with the fact that Gabby won the gold! :)







Us Americans are on a roll in London this year.  We have beaten China in terms of numbers of medals. And of course don't forget that only this year Michael Phelps has become the most decorated Olympian of all time!

I also know that tennis fans (like me) are anticipating the final between Andy Murray and Roger Federer, now Wimbledon rivals.  Andy Murray of Scotland probably had the Wimbledon of his life in June and July of 2012.  He eventually lost in the finals to Roger Federer, who is probably the best tennis player of all time.  Even though neither of these men are American, I'm completely torn on who I want to win.  I'm a Fed fan all the way, but he's won so many gold medals in the past I think Murray deserves to win this time.

Roger Federer (above left) in Switzerland red. Andy Murray (above right) in blue and red of Great Britain.

Please leave your comments: What do you think of the badminton scandal? The NBC spoilers? The success of many Americans? The rivalry between Federer and Murray? I'd love to hear them :)