but I liked this piece. It had a bit more structure. I think the problem with the last two (the one about the nasty Romanian coaches and the one about the beast) was the same: you presented a lot of facts that seemed to be trying to convince me of something, but I wasn't sure what. A thesis at war with itself. This piece was much clearer, and I appreciate your sense of humor. Thanks!

I really enjoyed this post. The yakkers on every sports broadcast drive me crazy ... especially in gymnastics.

But maybe your editors could, for variety, begin your next headline with something other than, "As a former elite ..." Just sayin'.

Every time Jennifer Sey mentions she's a former elite athlete or that she wrote a book, take a drink!

I didn't mind the color commentary so much but yeah, Trautwig got annoying.

Should I be glad I skipped your previous two columns? :)

Could you please stop writing about yourself being annoyed with watching your own sport? I think we got your point in the first write up. You sound like an actor friend of mine who complains about people criticizing a movie. His explanation is same as yours. "They don't understand acting, so they should shut up." Ridiculous attitude.

I really liked this piece. Sey actually has a bit of perspective and humor about herself and the loud-mouth PITAs that are habitue of the Salon letter columns. (I'd be one of those PITAs.)

I was glad to see Liukin win. She's just so much more beautiful and graceful in her events than the rest of the women. The dad-coach thing is a bit much. I always wonder about the psycho-dynamics of families where there are multiple generations of Olympians. Is it a family tradition of hard work and iron will, or abuse and a message of "Win, or mommy and daddy won't love you" that drives them?

My wife trained at a ballet academy in Europe in a similar fashion to the way the author trained in gymnastics. She also has the same snarky, condescending reaction to people who say they did ballet as a kid. Ironically, her sharpest comments are often for gymnastic moves that are compared to dance, complaining that they would be wholly unacceptable in the ballet studio. It will be interesting to see if she thinks Nastia had "ballerina poise" when she watches the meet tonight on DVR.

Womens gymnastics I find appalling. The reason all those women are so small and have such high squeaky voices is that when they are training they take like 12 aspirin a day for the pain, which effectively stunts their growth. I mean, having to take that many drugs as a teenager and actually stopping your growth: how many clues do their parents need that this is not a good idea?

How can we all pay to see children do such things to themselves?

How can Salon write any story about this topic except the one I've described?

I'd like to see more talk about how in the world one can learn to do some of those seemingly impossible things, too (a handspring backflip onto a four-inch beam, how many times do you almost kill yourself before you learn that one! here's a montage of some mindbogglers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DLgWF5lc7A), but that's probably too technical for most people. BTW, that should have been "marquee" (canopy projecting over the entrance of a theater, the one you put the star's name on, thus "marquee name" or "marquee attraction") not "marquis" (a title for a nobleman).

Nastia has a very ballet friendly figure which I think encourages people to day "dancey type moves". Whereas Shawn Johnson has a more typical gymnastics figure.

When your wife watches on Tivo tonight, she shouldn't fast forward through the Russians on floor exercise. The rich ballet history of Russia peeks through the gymnasts routines. And Nastia, born of Russian parents has a style that's lightly Russian flavored.

I am the most annoying person to read with. I'm a condescending former writer who loathes the armchair reader. I love writing. I love writers. I hate readers.

I'm especially annoyed by those who believe their dalliances in amateur childhood athletics give them insight into the travails and accomplishments of being real writers. Reading these few stories with some friends, one lesser-known acquaintance gently whispered to her daughter, "Sey is a real writer."

No, she isn't.

See? I'm horrible. But she isn't. Technically, she stayed afloat.

She typed words and they were posted online. But her interpretation of this flywheel-type movement surely had nothing to do with what Salon's Stephanie Zacharek, for example, brings to bear in every movie review.

(and so on)

I was actually happy that the coverage of the gymnastics final started so late. I arrived home around 11 p.m. from attending a theater performance and was still able to see all but the first of the four rotations.

I was pulling for Shawn Johnson because she hails from my native state of Iowa, and she's always seemed to be a good kid. I also have wondered about the dynamics involved in Nastia Liukin's own father coaching her. Still, I couldn't be disappointed to see the two Americans take gold and silver...in whichever order. I can appreciate the point about being glad Nastia's grace counted for something. That's always been her strong suite, while Shawn's strength has had more to do with sheer power. And in the race to do ever more difficult skills, sometimes the element of grace has gotten shortchanged. But not this time.

I was also happy to see how well they both conducted themselves when the results were in. Their country can be proud of both of them.

"As a former top gymnast, I know what it feels like to stand on a 4-inch-wide plank, carrying the world on your 16-year-old shoulders."

"As a former internationally competitive gymnast, I find them too emotionally complicated."

"As a former athlete, I understand what it means to compete at an international level in a way an armchair fan cannot."

"As a former elite athlete, I turn into a horrible, condescending jerk when I watch the Olympics with armchair fans like you."

"I'm a condescending former elite athlete who loathes the armchair fan"

"As a former elite gymnast myself, it's hard to watch Olympic competition. But then Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson blew me away."

Is this over yet?