In gymnastics, are you really less fearless and less flexible if you're 16 compared to younger gymnasts?

Question

It does not appear to me that the American gymnasts are less fearless or less flexible as compared to what some think the underage Chinese. Ironically, the American gymnasts look more fearless than the Chinese kids and they certainly did not lose flexibility. It just sound like it's one of those lame excuses the fans make and the NBC commentators make and that old manager with Russian accent.

Answer 1

Oh please! I can remember as a kid doing things I would not think of even trying today. I can even remember at 14 doing things that I would not do at 16. Example: At 14 I would climb the tallest tree around at 16 I would not dream of it.

And about the flexibility part it is a fact that the younger you are the more flexible you will be.

Kids don't really understand what can happen to them if something goes horribly wrong. You know that the older you get the more wiser you become. The difference between 14 and 16 may not seem like much but in reality it is.

I will give credit where credit is due and plain and simple those little Chinese girls outperformed the American girls. Whether or not they are under aged is not for me or even you to decide. That is a matter for the IOC to decide.

And as for your comment (retarded americans) you are what I despise the most. You are no more than a troll on here trying to stir the pot. Some people just cant stand the FACT that the American athletes are better at some sports then the rest of the world. Your blind ignorance just amuses me and the rest of the world.

Edit: No it is not just me. I do not know one adult that would climb a tree for the pure joy of it. Another example then: When I was 13 a friend of mine and myself were playing around on the roof af a barn well my friend fell off of the roof and what did I do jump from the highest tip of the roof to see if he was ok. Now do you know a rational adult that would do that? No they would climb down the way they climbed up. And you are mistaking fearless for confidence.

Answer 2

I doubt it.

But even if you are more flexible, what type of advantage does that give on the balance beam? The uneven bars? Tumbling? Vaulting? Olympians are world class athletes. They have the ability (and flexibility) to perform maneuvers and routines at the world class level. "Extra flexibility" isn't really any sort of advantage at all.

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If you've trained yourself to be flexible and fearless your entire life, and you've dedicated yourself to it, two years difference while you're in your prime isn't going to create a huge difference. You can't use your own experiences as an example. Climbing trees? Maybe your little excursions would have some sort of relevance to the topic if your job were to climb trees, if your life revolved around climbing trees, if you were an Olympic tree-climbing fool. But you're not.