How is it "cheating" to have very young gymnasts?

Question

How is that considered an edge?

Answer 1

The fact is you for gymnastics have to be at least 16 years of age in the calander year of the Olympics. Those are the rules put in place . China should be stripped of their medals.... period !!!!!!. cheating is cheating no matter what angle you try to look at it. Cheating is Cheating PERIOD !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The poster Emily above me gets it right, you let the cheaters get away with a medal then let Joyner get her medals back for being doped up, because there is no difference between the two.  There both considered cheating.!!!!! so if China gets to keep that medal, I would expect Joyner to get her medals back !!!!!!!!!!

Answer 2

Because there's rules. You break a rule, you're cheating.

If they're gonna let underage chinese gymnasts in, then get the doped up athletes back and let them run.

Answer 3

What is "cheating"?

Why say it is cheating?

Are they not through their own efforts to get the Olympic gold medal?

Although very young, but they performed well, we should feel happy for them, they certainly promising future!

Answer 4

It wouldn't be "cheating" if there was not an age-restriction in place.

But, there is.  And if some gymnasts are underage as per the the Olympic regulations, then it's cheating.  Plain and simple.

It's more a case of "the letter of the law" than anything else.  If other countries abide by the age-rule and only allow the older girls/women to compete ... then any country that allows younger girls to compete is cheating.

Whether or not the younger gymnasts give the country a competitive edge is irrelevant.  The question is eligibility, and the young girls are ineligible to compete, and therefore they are/were ineligible to win medals.

Answer 5

It's against the agreed-upon rules. Other countries might do it too if it wasn't.

As to why it's against the rules in the first place....

They're more resilient and flexible. Once puberty is hit, body weight distribution occurs to alter necessary abilities.

Those forced to competition-level too young can also have their physical development hindered, as well as get their lives generally "trashed" by adults around them.

Ultimately there's a cutoff agreed-upon in the rules for various reasons, and those who don't adhere to the rules by going too young (and not honestly disclosing it) would be cheating.

Answer 6

They are smaller and lighter....................a HUGHE  difference in gymnastics

Answer 7

There is a rule against it. That is why it's cheating.

How is it an edge?

I don't know but there is a rule against it so there must be a reason.

Answer 8

It is only cheating because the rules and regulations have been set and all countries are to abide by them.  The reason the younger girls are preferable to the Chinese is that the younger girls are very light and therefore not weighted down in their execution or presentation. They are also more dependent on their coaches and country and not as independent as some older girls.

This may make them more compliant to what their coaches want from them. JUST GUESSING!

Answer 9

Cheating can be defined as not following the rules that all parties agree to abide by.

Every country except China is sticking to the rules,  therefore they are cheating.

The merits of allowing 12yr olds into the Olympics is an entirely different discussion.