I think rings is cool, an incredible show of strength. Pommel horse is stupid though.
***Official Olympics Discussion***
- Thread starter ISUCyclones2015
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So if coolness means showing strength, I'd say you would also love pommel horse.
I think the rings are the most entertaining out of all other gymnast routines, mens and womens.
Who knows. East Asians especially almost always look younger than they really are, and the gymnasts are no different. I saw one this year who looked 12 or 13 and she was 17. It's really a crapshoot. Even if they were of legal age, whatever. I mean I know it's against the rules and all, but if they were really like 12 years old doing that ****, it's even more impressive.
Agreed. Rings is my favorite apparatus to do...reallllllllly hard ****. Interestingly enough, they didn't show any rings in the team competition for some reason, ****** me off. Maybe they will for the individuals. One of the best is doing it for Bulgaria, Jordan Jovtchev. Guy is ******* insane. Competed on a partially torn bicep on rings for like 10 years. That would sideline you in the NFL for a month. Oh, and he's 39. It's kind of creepy that he looks a little like Bret Favre too..
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mlayr5s2fpA[/ame]
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I don't think there should be a minimum age in the Olympics. If its about finding the best in the world at something, all ages should be able to compete.
If you are 12 and beat a bunch of 25 year olds who are the best in the world, it's even more impressive as far as I'm concerned.
pommel horse is perhaps the hardest apparatus. Takes a lot of strength and stamina to do it. Rings take the most pure strength though. They're pretty insane. Even separating the rings outwards through your shoulders takes a lot of strength. Very deceptive even for the most basic things. The average person would even fail holding themselves up with straight arms on the apparatus.
No. And I don't think it was even close. There were documents found later saying that the star (He Hexin or something like that) was born in 1994. Making her 14 in 2008. All of a sudden at the Olympics though, her passport had her bday as 1992.
But the IOC said their passports had the right year so they were good. I know they tend to look younger, but I would be absolutely shocked if all those girls were legal.
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This is so very true. I was in the Philippines less than a month ago and saw a lot of Philipinas playing on the beach in San Roque that looked maybe 11 or 12. I was shocked when the wife told me they were 15 and 16.
in gymnastics? I don't think so. Their bodies lose flexibility as they age,plus all the years of wear and tear. That's why it's all a bunch of 15-17 year olds and not 25 year olds.
I have it on record from the guy that threw the party with the famous picture (and owner of the "apparatus") that he was really cool.
Yeah, analysts tend to say that a 20 year old is ancient in terms of gymnastics, at least for females. It's why only "once every four years" fans were shocked that Nastia Liukin didn't make the team. It actually would have been quite the upset if she had qualified for any single apparatus.
Apparently even 12 year olds have an advantage over equivalently-trained mid-teens. I get the argument that perhaps in a "best in the world" competition that all ages should be allowed to compete, but the IOC has the right to draw the line somewhere. Perhaps letting 12 year olds compete at that level isn't in their best interest. What happens if an 8 year old is a gifted gymnastics, but her body simply hasn't developed enough and as such isn't ready for competitio, and as a result permanent damage is done to her body?
The bottom line is the IOC has to draw the line somewhere, and they drew it at 14. If the Chinese knowingly used 12 year olds, then they intentionally broke the rules.
I thought one of the big arguments against younger gymnasts is that they are less fearful of the moves they are doing because they don't realize how dangerous some of them are. Where as the 15-16 year olds have a little more maturity and know their limits.
just to clarify - current IOC regulations require that an athlete be 16 or turning 16 within the calendar year. I believe that Kyla Ross is using this rule - she is 15 but turning 16 within the required time. That means that if the Chinese athletes were underage, they were a very young 15 or more likely, 14.
from Wikipedia:
Reasons for age falsification
According to many scientific and medical studies, as well as reports from ex-gymnasts, younger gymnasts may have psychological or physical advantages in elite gymnastics competition.
Psychologically, younger gymnasts may be more fearless, and have less visceral appreciation for the potential for injury. They are therefore more likely to perform more dangerous, and more highly scored, routines with confidence and steadiness.[9] “Psychologically, I think they worry less,†former Olympic medallist Nellie Kim told the New York Times.[31] Daniela Silivaş, in her interview, commented, "You should know that I competed better at the age of 13 than at 17. I felt much better, physical (sic) and mentally."[22]
Physically, younger gymnasts, particularly those who have not yet gone through puberty, tend to be lighter, smaller, more pliable and flexible, which aids them in performing more complex skills and gives them a better strength-to-weight ratio. When a gymnast hits puberty, growth spurts and weight gain may affect her centre of gravity, causing mental and physical stress as she must adjust, and in some cases relearn, her moves to compensate.[9][32] Smaller athletes have generally excelled in the more challenging acrobatic elements required by the evolving Code of Points after the 1960s.[13] In addition, older gymnasts may be more prone to certain types of injuries caused by overuse of bones and muscles; younger gymnasts are less likely to have such problems, or more likely to be able to work through pain while injured.[9][13]
