Why is YOUTH such an apparent advantage for gymnasts?

Question

The only other age-related disputes I know of when it comes to athletics or sports is where non-American baseball players come to the United States to play for professional teams and forge their birth documents to appear younger. But that's only because big money and long-term contracts are involved, as you wouldn't give a 22 year old shortstop the same multi-year contract if he were really 26. For example, the 22 year old still has years of opportunity to reach his peak performance and potential, grow stronger, faster, more intelligent, more experienced...

But the Olympics is only one competition, so there must be SOMETHING about it that favors youth. Why?

Answer 1

I'm a former gymnast of 12 years myself, gymnastics requires long hours of training (myself being every day 4 hours a day), most older girls like 20's are in collage and don't have patience for this. Younger girls like high school can be homeschooled and train in the same day.  Also younger girls are more flexible, and recover from injury faster.  I guess its just the way of the sport.

Answer 2

Johnathan Horton is younger than the male gymnast that won yesterday.  

Answer 3

When the US women's gymnastic team won the team's event in 2007 @ the Worlds against CHINA; the YOUTH has an advantage to experience is just a mere excuse.

Answer 4

Smaller so more room to fit moves in on the floor and more flexible.

Answer 5

It seems to me, especially with female gymnasts, youth seems to be an advantage for several reasons.  Obviously younger people heal quicker and do not tend to get injured as easily.  Injuries are common in gymnastics and the older a gymnast is the more abuse their body has taken and the less likely it is to heal quickly. Older gymnasts seem to have a lot of recurring injuries.  Also a young female gymnast still has a "little girl" body.  Many of them have not fully matured.  Their small size seems to give them an advantage with how well they can move their bodies.  Some gymnasts seem to struggle when they suddenly have a growth spurt and have to adjust to their changing bodies.  When Nadia Comeneci won gold in the Olympics the age limit was different.  She was only 14, 4' 11" and 86 lbs.  As an adult Nadia is 5 ft. 4 and I"m sure she no longer weighs 86.  Female gymnasts as they get older can get much longer legs, or larger b*****s and hips which make it harder for them to maneuver as easily.  I think young gymnasts also have such cute tiny bodies that they tend to "look" better performing on the different apparatus and they are being judged on not just how well they performed, but on how graceful and elegant it looks etc... that is much easier for someone with a small frame.

Answer 6

In gymnastics, a younger competitor is more flexible, recovers from injuries quicker, and is virtually fearless.

Answer 7

It is ALL about weight. Gravity pulls mass down to the floor. Gymnasts constantly fight gravity with muscle. Younger girls have virtually no weight and can use most of their muscle for completing their mauneuvers.

Go back and watch the Chinese vs. USA gymnasts online. Notice how the skinny underaged Chinese girls virtually float around like feathers, yet the older US girls come down quicker with gravity.

Youth is not an apparent advantage, it is a COMPLETE advantage.

Read a physics book. Get out of the falacy of age and experience being an advantage. That is nonsense.

Answer 8

There are a lot of different events for the Gymnastic competition that it should not make a difference if someone is younger or not. There are just as many that requires more strength then finesse. A stronger person would be able to swing higher or grab the bars harder. American girls had more experience and that should have been a tremendous advantage. For those who cry that younger girls have a mental edge.... hm... if you cant not stay focused for something as important as this then you do not deserve to be on the team! The Chinese team just trained harder. Thats all there is to it. And most of these girls are from poor families so I dont see why its bad to take them in, feed them, pay them and turn them into Olympians. Would you rather they work on a farm and live in poverty?

Answer 9

I don't that it's an advantage per se. These Chinese girls have been taken away at the age of 3 to the Chinese Gymnastics Army. So, they are 14, and already have 11 years of gymastics experience under their belts. I know the rule of being 16 is there to help the exploitation of really young athletes and their still developing bodies. But, obviously it doesn't work, as these girls have trained methodically since the age of 3. Crazy to me... I wouldn't want to have a job at 3 years old. I'd rather be out putting firecrackers in Tonka trucks and stuff.

Do they still have Tonka trucks?

Answer 10

When you have not reached puberty, are younger and have a smaller body mass you can.

jump higher,

flip quicker,

turn more revolutions,

land witth more grace,

have better balance,

have more flexibility,

and look cuter.

All of these score high marks with the gynamstics judges. That is why entering younger gymnasts is an unfair advantage to the team that does so.

Answer 11

They also weigh less, therefore less strength is needed to pull off these moves.