Ever since I started doing gymnastics when I was 5 years old, I've been obsessed with the sport. USA-Gymnastics.org is one of my favorite Web sites, but I only allow myself to get on every once in a while because I'll spend hours on it, which is not good if I'm trying to get homework done. When I looked at the site on Tuesday afternoon, I was checking out the post-Olympic coverage. I'm always interested to see what Olympians do after the hubbub of the competition is over. Because four of the six women on the Olympic team were from the Midwest, I was especially interested to see how their local papers covered them.
When I went on the Des Moines Register's Web site, I was shocked. The site had some of the most extensive coverage I've seen on a gymnast, even compared to the USA gymnastics Web site. The Register had an entire page dedicated to Shawn Johnson (http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?category=SHAWN_JOHNSON&template=landing). The page includes videos, stories, photo galleries, interactive maps, links to related sites and downloadable posters. The Register even did a story on Johnson's coach, Liang Chow, who competed on the Chinese national team when he was younger.
One of the photo galleries I browsed through had 304 photos. I only got through 112 of them before I decided I should start blogging, but some of the pictures dated back to 2003 when Johnson was 11.
I think the most interesting multimedia the site had was a break down of Johnson's routine for each event. Not only did the site give an in depth look at her routines, but it also described each apparatus and competitors to watch out for. The interactive presentation was put together extremely well because it gave a lot of information with little text. Instead the site used pictures and graphics to show readers how everything worked. This was by far the best presentation of routines and equipment that I've seen.
The way the Des Moines Register covered Johnson's routines is an example of what editors should do for other sports. This way of presenting the information has a lot of opportunities and allows the editors to be creative.
And as a random plug, some of the Olympic gymnasts, including Shawn Johnson and U of I's own Justin Spring, will be coming to Assembly Hall on Nov. 5 for the 2008 Tour of Gymnastics Superstars.
And as a random plug, some of the Olympic gymnasts, including Shawn Johnson and U of I's own Justin Spring, will be coming to Assembly Hall on Nov. 5 for the 2008 Tour of Gymnastics Superstars.
1 comment:
As a former gymnast as well, I definitely know where you are coming from when you said you try to stay away from USAGymnastics.org.
In my mind, however, it really is no surprise that the Des Moines paper did such an amazing job on reporting about Shawn Johnson and her Olympic triumphs. First of all, Des Moines--and the entire state of Iowa actually--is a gymnastics/power tumbling powerhouse! My entire childhood was spent "flip-flopping" between competitions in both Illinois and Iowa, and on several occasions, I experienced Des Moines and all the flipping it has to offer. Secondly, Shawn Johnson is a home-town hero! I doubt too many Olympians (let alone Olympic champions) have come out of those Iowa cornfields!
And going off of your plug at the end: my entire family is coming to Champaign to see the Olympians on tour!
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