The Disappearance of the Perfect 10: Evaluating Rule Changes in Women's Artistic Gymnastics

The 2004 Olympic Games saw a range of judging scandals in the sport of artistic gymnastics that prompted the International Gymnastics Federation to make changes to the sport's judging system. Therefore, following these games, the International Gymnastics Federation reworked the gymnastics scoring system, where the most prominent change was the removal of the ‘perfect 10’ as the highest score possible, to be replaced by an open-ended scoring system. The goal of this paper is to examine the effectiveness of the open-ended system that was introduced in 2006 through examining some of the sport's key values – an approach loosely aligned with broad internalism. It is suggested that the dual purposes of analysing what is achieved and the manner of achieving it are key values of the sport and are differentiated through the way judging utilises two categories known, in gymnastics, as ‘difficulty’ and ‘artistry’. This paper argues that the method of judging ‘difficulty’ is an improvement on previous judging methods. Our analysis of the definition and judging of ‘artistry’ in artistic gymnastics, however, reveals a less certain result.     

Comparison of physiological responses to graded exercise test performance in outrigger canoeing

Abstract

The aim of this study was to establish a graded exercise test protocol for determining the peak physiological responses of female outrigger canoeists. Seventeen trained female outrigger canoeists completed two outrigger ergometer graded exercise test protocols in random order: (1) 25 W power output for 2 min increasing by 7.5 W every minute until exhaustion; and (2) 25 W power output for 2 min increasing by 15 W every 2 min to exhaustion. Heart rate and power output were recorded every 15 s. Expired air was collected continuously and sampled for analysis at 15-s intervals, while blood lactate concentration was measured immediately after and 3, 5, and 7 min after exercise. The peak physiological and performance variables examined included peak oxygen uptake ([Vdot]O_2peak), minute ventilation, tidal volume, ventilatory thresholds 1 and 2, respiratory rate, respiratory exchange ratio, heart rate, blood lactate concentration, power output, performance time, and time to [Vdot]O_2peak. There were no significant differences in peak physiological responses, ventilatory thresholds or performance variables between the two graded exercise test protocols. Despite no significant differences between protocols, due to the large limits of agreement evident between protocols for the peak physiological responses, it is recommended that the same protocol be used for all comparison testing to minimize intra-individual variability of results.     

Olympic lightweight and open-class rowers possess distinctive physical and proportionality characteristics

Abstract

Rowers competing at the 2000 Olympic Games were measured for 38 anthropometric dimensions. The aim was to identify common physical characteristics that could provide a competitive advantage. The participants included 140 male open-class rowers, 69 female open-class rowers, 50 male lightweight rowers, and 14 female lightweight rowers. Body mass, stature, and sitting height were different (P < 0.01) between the open-class and lightweight rowers, as well as a comparison group of healthy young adults (“non-rowers”, 42 males, 71 females), for both sexes. After scaling for stature, the open-class rowers remained proportionally heavier than the non-rowers, with greater proportional chest, waist, and thigh dimensions (P < 0.01). Rowers across all categories possessed a proportionally smaller hip girth than the non-rowers (P < 0.01), which suggested the equipment places some constraints on this dimension. Top-ranked male open-class rowers were significantly taller and heavier and had a greater sitting height (P < 0.01) than their lower-ranked counterparts. They were also more muscular in the upper body, as indicated by a larger relaxed arm girth and forearm girth (P < 0.01). For the male lightweight rowers, only proportional thigh length was greater in the best competitors (P < 0.01). In the female open-class rowers, skinfold thicknesses were lower in the more highly placed competitors (P < 0.01). In conclusion, the rowers in this sample demonstrated distinctive physical characteristics that distinguish them from non-rowers and other sports performers.     

Gendered practices in the education of gifted girls and boys

Gifted girls and gifted boys are more alike than they are different, although researchers remain fascinated with sex differences. Small differences between gifted boys and girls in achievements, interests, careers, and relationships can become exaggerated through gendered educational practices. Kindergarten “red‐shirting'' of boys and the denial of early admission to girls can cause gifted children to be out of step throughout their academic careers. When gifted children are not actively encouraged to participate in talent searches and after‐school and summer programs, whether because of overprotection of girls or the insistence on athletic activities at the expense of academic activities for boys, they lose the opportunity for challenge, friendships, and community. When boys are not supported in their interests in creative careers and girls are not supported in their interests in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics careers, they may enter occupations that will not offer them the sense of purpose and meaning they might have otherwise had. It is in the area of gender relations, however, that long‐term consequences of gendered practices are most apparent for gifted individuals because both gifted boys and girls need to plan for balancing family and career. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Conceptual conditional discrimination inSaimiri sciureus

The present work introduced a task which superimposed a tray brightness, stimulus-response contingency on previously acquired, highly successful, one-trial oddity performance. Continuing with new one-trial oddity problems, the new contingency was that responses to the odd objects were rewarded on a white tray and responses to the nonodd objects were rewarded on the black tray. Since there is no opportunity to learn specific stimuli or stimulus patterns, successful performance may be interpreted as having a conceptual basis. All monkeys achieved criterion (90% based on 18/20) and statistically significant performances (p<.001). Discussion considered the appropriate nomenclature to describe a conceptual conditional discrimination task and the necessary evidence to justify a conceptual interpretation of conditional discrimination behavior.