USA gymnastics GOLD!

[BoSoxGal]

Our girls won the all-around gold!!



I didn't get to watch, bummer, been working too much.

I gotta say, I've always loved gymnastics and have watched since I was a kid. There's something about this team that strikes me though . . . here's our famous silver medal winning team from 1984, note the difference?

[RayThom]

. . . here's our famous silver medal winning team from 1984, note the difference?

Yes, the '84 team is much older now.

[MajGenl.Meade]

It's the colour isn't it! The medals are different colours!!!!

[BoSoxGal]

I love the increasing diversity of my country, I embrace wholeheartedly the coming minority status of 'my' people. WASPs are pretty boring anyway and prone to mental instability, if you ask my opinion. (Or ask the Chump.)

[oldr_n_wsr]

racist!

[BoSoxGal]

[Bicycle Bill]

And now for an opposing viewpoint.....

While I do congratulate the women's gymnastics team on their performances, I do have one thing to say about gymnastics in general, and floor exercises in particular — and that is this:

Outside of the tumbling passes, why do these girls pose and preen like they do?  Some of those stances, positions they assumed, and movements they made — can't anyone perform a floor-ex routine with doing at least one pelvic thrust and sticking their boobs out like a Kardashian? — looked like they would be more at home in a pole-dancer's repertoire than a part of a routine supposedly intended to display gymnastic ability rather than sexual "come hither"-ness.

And what's with this "rhythmic gymnastics" where the women perform while holding a hula-hoop, a ball, or twirling a ribbon on a stick?  This is nothing more than interpretive dance with props taken to a ridiculous level. 

But why stop there?  They've already eliminated one of the classic sports (wrestling); let's get rid of boxing in order to make room for baton twirling and pom-poms as an Olympic sport in Tokyo in 2020, what do you say?

-"BB"-

[MajGenl.Meade]

All "sports" involving judges and points (i.e. subjective) should be removed. Only head-to-head competition should be included.

Women's gymnastics should consist of women and not children. If gymnastic teams were making shoes or sewing shirts, there would be an outcry. Let's have women's gymnastic teams 16 years old and up. No more babies strapped to backs!

[Jarlaxle]

sticking their boobs out like a Kardashian

What boobs?

[Long Run]

Our girls won the all-around gold!!

What was amazing was that they were so consistently excellent, every team member. Awesome display.

[Big RR]

Meade--16 is the current age required for Olympic competition in women's gymnastics; actually, it is required that the gymnast turn 16 in the year of the Olympics. Hernandez, at 16, is the youngest of the US team--the rest are 19 or 20. some of those Chinese gymnasts that look 12 are actually in their 20s.

[MajGenl.Meade]

OK I meant 18.

[Big RR]

The problem with age in women's (or girl's if you prefer) is that they tend to peak early. Gymnasts like Nadia Comaneche (sp?) or Dominique Moceaneau were 14 when they shattered records, and by 18 many start to lose their edge (many become college gymnasts, but the syllabus for NCAA competition is nowhere near that for elite level, Olympic competition). Some can continue to compete for a while (into their 20s), and some even longer (like the 41 year old from one of the former Soviet teams who first competed in 1992), but most of the young women are perfectionists who will withdraw from elite competition once they don't feel they are doing as well as they did. This sort of gymnastics is based more on flexibility than strength, and low body weights as well as an undeveloped figure helps in the routines.

Personally, I think 16 makes sense, as it leaves the doors open for older teens (like on this team), but allows the gymnasts near their peak to compete. Trying to stay that size and shape into your 20s leads to eating disorders (already a problem in gymnastics) as well as significant health problems (many gymnasts are delayed in menstruating and body development as it is).

Now if you want to discuss coaches, that's another thread; some of them (like Bela Karolyi according to my daughter who had a two week stint at his facility as part of a group selected by USA Gymnastics) are absolute monsters. That's where the organizations should clamp down IMHO (if you're interested in a pretty well written, if dated, account of competitive gymnastics in the US, I recommend the book "Little Girls in Pretty Boxes"; I don't doubt much of it is true from what I have seen).

[MajGenl.Meade]

"Near their peak" That is the problem. Keep them out! The men are not 16 years old, damnit! They wouldn't be "near their peak" if someone would just stop tiny babies from being forced/encourage into it

[Lord Jim]

There is something troubling about 14 year old girls with sweet innocent faces and thighs like Robert Newhouse* competing in these events...











*For those who don't get the reference, Robert Newhouse was a fullback for the Dallas Cowboys in the early 70s, who was known for his particularly large and muscular thighs...

[Big RR]

True, but such is the sport; the men peak later because it is primarily a strength sport--the women peak earlier because it is not and require much more flexibility. And becoming a gymnast takes years of training and conditioning, if they don't start early enough, they won't become one. Check the resumes of most elite gymnasts and you'll see that most started around 5 (my daughter started at 8 and had a pretty hard time at the beginning). And I seriously doubt if many at this level are forced into it--it takes more than threats from parents (or even coaches) to get someone to work that hard to excel (not that some parents and coaches don't try).

Personally, I was very happy when my daughter decided to leave the sport when she was 15, basically because her coach wanted her to home school and have an additional workout of 2-3 hours every morning (in addition to the 3-4 in the evening)--also, while she was doing well in school and most meets were on weekends, her travel time was becoming more and more of a problem as she went to meets in different (further away) places--she had to make the choice of whether she wanted to do that or not, and I was happy she made that choice (also because some of the injuries she had were getting more serious). But she did miss it afterwards.

[rubato]

I can recall some time ago when synthetic HGH* became avail. that people were concerned that parents would all want to use it to make their children into NBA centers, NFL linebackers and champion weight lifters.

NOW what are they going to have to do? Find a drug that makes tinier and tinier little women gymnasts? Will 4ft 10in be too tall to be competitive in 20 years?

yrs,
rubato

HGH, human growth hormone. The effects when given to children are different than adults.

[Big RR]

4'10" with plenty of muscle; but I'm sure there are drugs that could do some things; administering drugs that delay maturation and development is something that I have no doubt is done in some gyms (although I've never seen it). Anorexia and bulimia as gymnasts age is also not unknown. Who knows what those who work in this area could come up with.

[MajGenl.Meade]

Foot binding worked for feet. Perhaps they will try little gymnast binding - should keep the parents happy
Dreadful thought.

[Burning Petard]

Could someone who really understands this sport explain a little detail for me? It is a little detail, but it strikes me at every gymnastic event I see on television (the only place I see gymnastics.)

What's up with the costume they wear? I understand beach volley ball. The participants wear what is typical at the beach. But gymnastics? I assume the costume evolves with the sport, intended to enhance the performance of the participant. But why the difference for men and women? It is particularly puzzling in the Trampoline event. Both men and women do the same kinds of things on the same kind of equipment. But the costumes? I assume the women display their entire leg from hip joint to ankle joint so the judges can observe the detailed movement of the muscles. The arm muscles must not be important because they are completely covered. For the men, however, the legs are fully covered, the entire lower body from about the navel down, with straps over the foot to prevent anything showing, and the garment is not particularly close fitting (say compared to a full body suit used in bicycle competition). But the upper body is covered in something resembling what is sometimes described in an ethnic insult, as 'an Italian dress shirt'. It exposes all the men's arms and shoulders. So what is going on here?

I am sure there must be something about this sport I don't understand. It could not be blatant appeal to male prurience. This is big-time modern sport and the purity of the Olympic spirit.

snailgate