Free Republic

Paul: I'll start it out. You earned the gold and should be proud. What some are trying to do is unconscionable. The judges made an error in degree of difficulty, and they made an error in missing a mistake. Those offset each other. Your comeback and the character you showed will certainly inspire other young American gymnasts. ============================================= FReepers, I am asking you for a personal favor. This is like a greeting card. I hope you will join me with congratulatory messages so we can send it to Paul. If you want to debate, please do it on another thread....

Paul, we would like to congratulate you and support you. Your gold medal performance was nothing short of awesome. It was one of the great comebacks in sports history. This American could not be more proud of you. You faced adversity, never gave up, and won the day. Screw the Olympic Committee that is trying to taint your medal. It is uncalled for and unfair. You are the champion. We know that the judges screwed up the level of difficulty for the Korean, but they also screwed up by missing a 2/10 deduction. Wear the gold proudly. America salutes your...

Unfavorable Scoring Denies Gymnasts Landing on the mat with a thud finishing his last routine on the high bar, Yang Tae-young clenched his fist signaling his confidence of becoming the first-ever South Korean gymnast to win an Olympic gold medal. Yang, ranked first after five routines, was waiting for his score but when the scoreboard flashed 9.475, lower than his expectation to put him behind teammate Kim Dae-eun, his face went rigid. To make matters worse Paul Hamm of the United States, the reigning world champion, displayed his ambitious routine right after Yang and earned a score of 9.837. Hamm’s...