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Original poster

Why so little coverage of the women’s gymnastics team getting bronze

94 replies

Carycy · 27/07/2021 15:10

Just been watching the Olympics coverage of the women’s team gymnastics. I only saw one quick vault of a Brit, none of the routines. Everything was about the USA, the Russians and the Italians. Then I find out that Britain get bronze!!! What. Still hardly anything said. WTF?!?! This is a big thing. Still not in the headlines. More coverage of an American competitor dropping out. What is going on?

OP posts:
21Bee · 27/07/2021 15:41

I can’t believe that somebody hasn’t heard of Simone Biles!? Even if you aren’t a follower of gymnastics she is one of the most prominent and successful female sportswomen in the world. She won four gold medals at Rio aged 19.

TheLadyGrayson · 27/07/2021 15:43

I did manage to see the vault, bars and one floor replay earlier which Beth Tweddle ran through after the fact, hopefully there will be on demand highlights later?

mynameiscalypso · 27/07/2021 15:47

@Carycy

Not a massive follower so never heard of her. Still thinks it’s Pretty pretty fab we made bronze. Just wish there was a bit more even coverage. I hate this singling out stars.
I'd say that you're less that not a massive follower if you've never heard of SB. She's been one of the most famous athletes in the world for the last 5+ years.

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LadyBostock · 27/07/2021 15:52

It was so disappointing it’s such a massive achievement for women’s artistic to win a team medal at the Olympics and they really barely showed any of it. Completely agree with the poster who said they showed almost full coverage of the Italian team because they looked set to medal. Hoping to see more in the highlights.

TheWeeDonkey · 27/07/2021 15:52

I've only been watching dribs and drabs, gutted that SB dropped out, she's amazing to watch but well done to team GB. I saw the young twins on tv on Saturday and thought it was a glitch 😂 but they are fantastic gymnasts, I think they'll have a great future.

korawick12345 · 27/07/2021 15:53

@newnortherner111

Along with the tv networks not having control, the British team and individual gymnasts do actually win medals, it's not a once in a generation event any more.
The women’s team haven’t won an all round team medal in the Olympics since 1928! We have definitely made great steps and the men’s teams have put in some good performances in recent years but this is massive for women’s gymnast in the UK
toastofthetown · 27/07/2021 16:02

As said BBC can only commentate on the feed that they are shown. And as the big story before the start was Russia causing a huge upset by out-qualifying USA, and with those nations being the top favourites then they will have most coverage. For a long time Italy looked likely to pick up the bronze. I couldn’t believe we’d done it until we did it. Didn’t think we had what it took on UB and I’m delighted to be wrong!

Can’t really add much to how massive it was that Simone dropped out. She is the biggest name in gymnastics by quite some way, and the assumption was that she would come to the Olympics, lead US to a crushing victory in Team final, then go on to win several other individual events with a huge margin. I’m surprised that anyone with even a passing interest in the sport hasn’t heard of her. It’s like saying I’m not a massive football fan so I’ve never heard of David Beckham back in the day.

Original poster
Carycy · 27/07/2021 16:21

Yeah it’s just sad that they basically focused on three teams.

Apologies to those offended I hadn’t heard of her. I don’t follow it but might start now as my 5 year old just started gymnastics so perhaps I will get more into it.

OP posts:
TheRebelle · 27/07/2021 16:28

I’m not into sport, never mind gymnastics and even I know Simone Biles in the big gymnastics star, it’s like saying you’ve never heard of Serena Williams!

Original poster
Carycy · 27/07/2021 17:45

Ok right I get it. I’ve totally missed the run up to the Olympics as I have been working flat out. Today is the first time I’ve sat down to watch some. Sheesh!

OP posts:
AuntieStella · 27/07/2021 17:46

The main coverage is focusing on the golds

I would have liked to see more coverage of Alex Yee's triathlon silver

mynameiscalypso · 27/07/2021 18:03

Just be glad you're not Belgian; you'd barely even have known they were in the final!

Original poster
Carycy · 27/07/2021 18:30

It’s such a shame mynameiscalypso. They should be showing all the athletes evenly. I don’t remember the coverage being so uneven in other Olympics.

OP posts:
mynameiscalypso · 27/07/2021 18:33

It's always been dictated by TV audiences to a large extent although it's maybe even more obvious at these games - some of the swimmers were complaining about the times of their finals because they had been scheduled for US TV audiences for example. The broadcaster knows that the biggest audiences will want to see US/Russia/China in something like gymnastics.

MidMorningLatte · 27/07/2021 18:34

Tbf, that was the most nailbiting final since Athens. ROC/ USA was down to the final routines, and there was Italy, France and GB, and then China’s shocker of a day. I feel I missed 50% of it! You needed a screen solit between the 4 apparatus!

GB have done fantastically. First non dominant country to medal since 1988 I think.

enjoyingscience · 27/07/2021 18:35

The discovery thing is a disaster. The coverage is terrible, and I guess not having many bbc staff in Japan just compounds it.
We’ve paid the £6.99 for Eurosport, but the commentary is awful. I miss proper Olympic coverage Sad

Blueemeraldagain · 27/07/2021 18:42

I think the difficulty is that the broadcaster can only show one event out of four happening at the same time. USA and Russia were set to fight it out for first and second so they were guaranteed coverage. Japan and Italy were favourites for 3rd. No one in the GB team has ever been to an olympics before and they were aiming for 5th. That doesn’t get coverage. The woman did amazingly (and they only pipped Italy at the post) but I wasn’t surprised we didn’t see much of them (was disappointed though!)

mynameiscalypso · 27/07/2021 18:43

@Blueemeraldagain

I think the difficulty is that the broadcaster can only show one event out of four happening at the same time. USA and Russia were set to fight it out for first and second so they were guaranteed coverage. Japan and Italy were favourites for 3rd. No one in the GB team has ever been to an olympics before and they were aiming for 5th. That doesn’t get coverage. The woman did amazingly (and they only pipped Italy at the post) but I wasn’t surprised we didn’t see much of them (was disappointed though!)
Yes, and I think it didn't help that the commentators are in the UK (I presume) watching the same pictures that we are because they can't tell you what's going on in other parts of the arena which they might do normally.
Homeontherangeuk · 28/07/2021 07:21

Well done to Team GB, they were brilliant & thrilled to bits with their bronze... Also I think Simone Biles withdrawal overshadowed Russia's win, they were spectacular on floor.. Beautiful balletic dancing..

AlmostSummer21 · 28/07/2021 07:32

@Carycy

It’s such a shame mynameiscalypso. They should be showing all the athletes evenly. I don’t remember the coverage being so uneven in other Olympics.
Are you not reading the posts explaining why this is?

Considering the IOC/Discovery situation, I'm pleasantly surprised at how much coverage of everything we are getting.

Though I'd like a 'planner' of what's on when and where you can watch it!! (Better than what's on SportNews etc)

Bryonyshcmyony · 28/07/2021 07:39

@JosephineDeBeauharnais

Simone Biles dropping out is the biggest story in Olympic gymnastics for years.
This.
Fizbosshoes · 28/07/2021 07:39

I watched an "olympics extra" programme on bbc2 last might hoping to see some gymnastics and they didnt showing. They showed a lot of dressage which (sorry - I know there are a lot of dressage fans here) I think is a bit dull. I would much rather have watched gymnastics

scaffoldingtheworld · 28/07/2021 07:40

The coverage is extremely disappointing and it’s a shame how the IOC have decided to do it this year. I hope they re-think for Paris in 3 years and that not many people have signed up to Discovery to watch.

Bryonyshcmyony · 28/07/2021 07:41

Discovery plus is great.

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 28/07/2021 07:56

Biles is front page news in today’s Times, with photo. The bronze medallist gymnasts are on page 6, with photo, but to be fair, so is the gold medal swimmer Tom Dean. Albeit with a bigger article and photo.

We heard about the gymnasts on R4 in the car yesterday, though.

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