They're Olympic Champions, Not Prey

[GObamaGO]

http://www.ontheissuesmagazine.com/cafe2/article/238

Thursday, August 2nd, was a huge day for American women in the prime-time Olympic sports. Rebecca Soni set a new world record and snagged gold in the women's 200m breaststroke. Elizabeth Beisel and Missy Franklin scorched the field leading up to the 200m backstroke final, leading their respective semifinal heats by 1.24 and 1.48 seconds. Beach volleyballers April Ross and Jen Kessy advanced to the round of 16, where they join legends Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings. And in Judo, Kayla Harrison won the first Olympic gold medal for the U.S. – ever.

Notwithstanding Harrison’s historic moment, of course all eyes were on the women’s gymnastics all-around final. Gabrielle Douglas emerged Thursday as the only American gold medalist on the podium, joining Mary Lou Retton, Carly Patterson and Nastia Liukin in an elite club of U.S. gymnasts. Poised, confident, strong and classy, Douglas was stunning as she executed vaults, leaps, twists that seemed to defy the laws of physics. In a sport of girls, the 16-year-old was a superwoman.

To most of us, anyway. Some were still obsessing over her (actually quite graceful) hairstyle, as if her hair mattered more than her stunning work. Worst of all: Over on Twitter, someone called @DarkBeige posted, "Watching gymnastics on bbc3. This may make me a Paedo."

And there, in 140 characters or less, is the problem with today's gymnastics.

This article succinctly stated things I have felt and experienced my entire life.