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Old 08-22-2008, 05:53 PM
 
34,254 posts, read 20,496,575 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by phoenix_talons View Post
That's right. Let the "half-peoples" compete. Even if it cripples them for the rest of their lives.
Good point, not to mention the emotional toll it would take if the very young are unsuccessful on the olympic stage. The Chinese have enourmous presssure to perform "for their country" as it is.

There were several lengthy documentaries aired (now on Youtube) which show the process the Chinese use to find and train their olympic hopefuls, which they blueprinted in part from the Russians.

Brings to mind the Little Leage World Series. Sadly, some countries (people involved actually) seem to think winning is the only thing.
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Old 08-22-2008, 08:56 PM
 
Location: Foot of the Rockies
90,316 posts, read 120,475,124 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Alexus View Post
I applaud the Chinese. They have been gracious hosts for the Games this year. Their young stars are the wave of the future. It is increasingly the reality that top athletes are younger than ever before. If a 14 year old gymnast can become an Olympic champion, I say good for her.

The age restriction should be modified because obviously times have changed. Kudos to the Chinese. They have been a great success at this year's Olympics, earning more gold medals than anyone and being second only to the US in total medal count.
The age restriction was instituted b/c of public outrage during the 1992 Olympics regarding how small the gymnasts were. It should not be changed, IMO. Gymnasts are prone to eating disorders as it is; if the Olympic gymnasts had to compete with 14 yr olds (for example) it would just encourage more gymnasts to develop EDs, especially as they get older.

It is true that even a 16 yr old gymnast has been training for a long time, sometimes as many as 10+ years. My own daughter started gymnastics at 5, and began competing at 7, in a recreation center program. This is not unusual. However, as a former 'gymnastics mom', I see the advantage of taking things a little more slowly.

I disagree that 11 yr olds have less fear than the older girls. They may not be as aware of the consequences of a serious injury, but they are more fearful, I think. They are more likely to blindly do what their coaches say than the older girls, and that may be a factor in pushing them to or even beyond their limits. The younger girls are also less able to handle the "agony of defeat".
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Old 08-22-2008, 09:07 PM
 
3,031 posts, read 9,075,270 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bob The Builder View Post
I am Chinese American and I am 6'3"

What is your point?
Just that I've read (not just here on C-D) over and over about how Asians tend to be more diminutive in general than Americans or Europeans.
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Old 08-22-2008, 09:11 PM
 
Location: Foot of the Rockies
90,316 posts, read 120,475,124 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by findingmesomeday View Post
Just that I've read (not just here on C-D) over and over about how Asians tend to be more diminutive in general than Americans or Europeans.
Yes, that is true in general. However, Chinese women still have a woman's body. That includes breasts, hips and thighs. These gymnasts lack all of the above.
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Old 08-22-2008, 11:31 PM
 
Location: Assisi, Italy
1,845 posts, read 4,224,184 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by findingmesomeday View Post
Just that I've read (not just here on C-D) over and over about how Asians tend to be more diminutive in general than Americans or Europeans.
As you made the post about the beach volley player, you saw him with your own eyes right? You have seen Yao Ming right? You knew that the tallest man in the world (Mongolian I believe, just got married last year and was photographed with the smallest man in the world - it was in probably all the papers around the world as well as the net). So how can you ask such a question?

On the flip side, Chinese are not all giants. There are 1.3 Billion in China. They come in all sizes AND shapes. Some girls are tall, some are short. Some have breast at 16, some do not. Some have baby teeth, some do not.

If I were a sports talent coach looking for a possible gymnast, I would look at the child, the parents, the grandparents. If the mom had a build like Angelina Jolie, I would look harder and longer at the mom, but in the end, I would have to conclude that the child is going to have some extra attributes that are not conducive to gymnastics. I would therefore continue to search from the other 1,299,999,999 possible eager prospects.

No insult intended, but this is where racism starts. One reads something and people repeat it over and over. The story might change each time it is repeated. A fact left out there or and fact embellished here. Pretty soon, it is a "story" on which one bases his entire belief system. Even if the story is implausible, it is still the story and it is backed by the old standby of "Everyone knows that..."

THE AMAZING THING IS THAT MANY PEOPLE FALL INTO THAT SAME TRAP AND STAY THERE. You are obviously "busted" on this one harmless misconception which you tried to use to back some type of accusation (It is not clear what you were trying to claim). You have a chance to start the work of "RE EDUCATION" or NOT. Choose well.

Last edited by Bob The Builder; 08-22-2008 at 11:53 PM..
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Old 08-22-2008, 11:49 PM
 
8,726 posts, read 7,384,678 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Alexus View Post
I applaud the Chinese. They have been gracious hosts for the Games this year. Their young stars are the wave of the future. It is increasingly the reality that top athletes are younger than ever before. If a 14 year old gymnast can become an Olympic champion, I say good for her.

The age restriction should be modified because obviously times have changed. Kudos to the Chinese. They have been a great success at this year's Olympics, earning more gold medals than anyone and being second only to the US in total medal count.
Oh yes, gracious host, whats oppressing 1 billion poeple compared to watching someone get a medal and a million dollar sponsorship!
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Old 08-22-2008, 11:56 PM
 
Location: Assisi, Italy
1,845 posts, read 4,224,184 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by phoenix_talons View Post
That's right. Let the "half-peoples" compete. Even if it cripples them for the rest of their lives.
If the age requirement is meant to protect the gymnasts, I would think it more effective in protecting the many OTHERS who have not made it that far, but who have been injured trying.
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Old 08-23-2008, 05:51 AM
 
34,254 posts, read 20,496,575 times
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On the other hand, why are Olympic divers such as Tom Daley (diver - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) allowed to compete at age 14, and not gymnasts? Doesn't the IOC feel they are being exploited? And there is a swimmer who is 12 competing for Cameroon.


The IOC knew before the Olympic games began about the controversy of the Chinese gymnast's ages. See International GYMNAST Magazine Online - IOC Won't Investigate "Underage" Chinese for further reading.

Nadia Komaneci (sp?) was 14 when she received a perfect score of 10, and Nadia has stated she is none the worse for her experience in competing at age 14 in the Olympics.

I can't say I know what is fair or what the age limitations should be, but I have to agree with some of the othes on this board that if IOC is going to have a rule, they need to enforce it.
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Old 08-23-2008, 06:01 AM
 
Location: Chicago
38,707 posts, read 102,951,116 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by redbird4848 View Post
On the other hand, why are Olympic divers such as Tom Daley (diver - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) allowed to compete at age 14, and not gymnasts? Doesn't the IOC feel they are being exploited? And there is a swimmer who is 12 competing for Cameroon.
Diving and swimming don't take 10% of the toll on a person's body as contemporary gymnastics does. World-class gymnasts are for all intents and purposes crippled for life by the time their careers are over. Many of them will live with aches and pains every day for the rest of their lives. The issue is whether or not young girls really understand the life-long consequences of what they are asked to do; and the longer they wait to train, the more likely they are to understand the consequences and give something approximating informed consent before there's no turning back. This is an issue that divers and especially swimmers don't have to contend with to anywhere near the same degree. That said, platform diving does carry some risk of injury, and so there is an age limit of 14 for diving.
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Old 08-23-2008, 07:29 AM
 
Location: Foot of the Rockies
90,316 posts, read 120,475,124 times
Reputation: 35920
Quote:
Originally Posted by redbird4848 View Post
On the other hand, why are Olympic divers such as Tom Daley (diver - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) allowed to compete at age 14, and not gymnasts? Doesn't the IOC feel they are being exploited? And there is a swimmer who is 12 competing for Cameroon.


The IOC knew before the Olympic games began about the controversy of the Chinese gymnast's ages. See International GYMNAST Magazine Online - IOC Won't Investigate "Underage" Chinese for further reading.

Nadia Komaneci (sp?) was 14 when she received a perfect score of 10, and Nadia has stated she is none the worse for her experience in competing at age 14 in the Olympics.

I can't say I know what is fair or what the age limitations should be, but I have to agree with some of the othes on this board that if IOC is going to have a rule, they need to enforce it.
Each sport makes a decision on the minimum age to compete in the Olympics. It is not an IOC rule, it's a FIG (Federation (?) of International Gymnastics) rule.
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