Beijing Olympics: Gymnastics: America Syndrome? |History: The Roadmap to the Future--Asia

In the Athens Olympics, widely held to be a major contender for gold medal in the field of gymnastics, did not win after the Chinese team imploded. A single fault by a single gymnast snowballed into more faults by both that individual and that gymnast's teammates. In the United States, this athletic implosion was dubbed 'China Syndrome' to describe how the Chinese team fell apart after the team members lost confidence in themselves.

In Beijing, it was the United States' turn for an 'America Syndrome.'

For both the women and men, the American team had a single fault which then spilled over into enough to knock the American women into second place, while the men won bronze. In notable contrast to Athens, the Chinese team made some flaws, but were not perturbed enough by them to implode. They obviously have learned from their Athens experience, and have triumphed in Beijing.

On a sidenote, Tim Daggett is difficult to listen to, as an American. Of the Olympics gymnastics analysts, he seems to be the most realistic, yet gets under the skin by seeming to poo-poo the American team while promoting the other--particularly Chinese--team. Quite un-American. Personally can 'sympathize', though as also then to have a similar attitude. Be realistic, even if others don't want to hear.

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Now the Americans have to learn how to cope with faults and not let them destroy confidence into themselves. And emulate the Chinese and make this 'America Syndrome' a one Olympic phenomenon. Hopefully in the London Games, Team USA does not let a single fault do them in. And, to be fair, for the men, they lost the Hamm twins, two of America's top gymnasts. That they got a bronze was actually somewhat impressive.

And take into account, for all the stirred up rivalry between China and America, and the Chinese thrashing the Americans in gold medal rankings, the Olympics are just an athletic competition. While symbolic, they do not necessarily represent in themselves China's coming usurpation of America's role as premiere global superpower. When China's economy surpasses the United State's, and then their military strength, and then their technology, followed by their worldwide cultural influence, then China will have beaten America in a major competition. Not before, with or without 'China Syndrome' or 'America Syndrome'.