How come female gymnasts are considered over-the-hill by the time they are 20?

Question

How come female gymnasts are considered over-the-hill by the time they are 20?

Answer 1

Because eventually they will hit their growth spurt.  It happens in your teens.

Answer 2

From the top countries

England had a girl, I think they said it was her 3rd Olympics

That will not happen in most countries

Shawn Johnson could be back at 20 in 2012

Nastia Liukin will be 23, that could be to old for 2012

Answer 3

I think they just become less flexable as they mature.

Answer 4

33yo Silver Medalist Oksana Chustovitina no doubt begs to differ.

No one can ever make you feel inferior without your permission.  

Answer 5

It is the truth, but in stigma and expectational ways.  However, I don't think it is not impossible or unaccepted because each Olympic games has 20-25 year old ladies competing in gymnastics, and even now with society aging slower and feeling that this age range is not so old anymore and people look younger now than before.  In every games, most recently Atlanta-Athens, there were top seeds from Romania who stuck around and were 20-24. Russians as well like the diva Svetlana Khorkina who competed and medalled in Athens at 25.  They all did well. Most stick around now for common sense reasons: if you are healthy, feeling good and still a favourite, then why not?