Perfectly Impossible: Gymnasts wrestle with the imperfect
Associated PressTOKYO — Sunisa Lee’s gymnastics are stunning. And not once has a judge watched the new Olympic all-around champion do her thing — not even on uneven bars, where the 45-second set she plans doing in Sunday’s event finals is a free-flowing series of connections and releases that make it seem as if she is floating — and thought “that’s flawless.” Lee is not alone. “It’s hard in that sense because it is such a sport where you’re trying to reach perfection, but perfection is unattainable,” said three-time Olympian Ellie Black of Canada. “That’s the part of it that’s kind of addicting,” said Black, who qualified for the Olympic all-around final before an ankle injury forced her to sit out. “There’s something new to try.” Besides, Black figures, “if you could just hit something perfectly, you’d probably lose some of that interest or motivation to keep going.” So Black — just like every other gymnast on the planet — searches for tiny moments of bliss.
History of this topic
Olympics gymnastics latest: Simone Biles, Sunisa Lee seek another gold medal in all-around final
The Independent
Simone Biles dominates first day of U.S. Olympic gymnastics trials as injuries shake up field
New York Times
Simone Biles builds large lead after night 1 of U.S. Gymnastics Championships
New York Times
Too perfect? Scores of 10 are everywhere in NCAA gymnastics
Associated Press
College gymnastics’ three-decade wait: Is the ultimate perfect score extinct?
New York Times
U.S. women's gymnastics shows it isn't invincible during qualifying
LA Times
Simone Biles Makes History Again With Jaw-Dropping Beam Dismount
Huff Post
Katelyn Ohashi scores another 10 as UCLA keeps perfect record intact
LA TimesDiscover Related
