Anytime I see anyone from NK - like the ping pong players, or the Chinese gymnasts I’m wondering what on earth happens to them or their families back home if they don’t perform well. One little girl, and I say little because she looked to be about 10, fell off the bars, as they were saying she wanted to do well for something about her family - I’m thinking dear me I hope they aren’t torturing them or starving them if they don’t bring honor to them.
I don’t get why being younger would be an advantage with gymnastics. I get the little ones do well, but our gymnasts are as tall as 5’2" so clearly it’s okay to be a bit taller.
The Chinese gymnasts do not appear to have gone through puberty. Not sure how old they are but that is at least part of it.
Not sure I really understand the age requirement. Presumably its to protect the gymnasts. But even if they cannot compete, aren’t they still training like crazy until they can?
So on the west coast, what time is your NBC coverage in the evening? Here in EST it starts at 8 (?) I think? Watching on tape delay so as to not have to watch the commercials and to save some time, but that does no good when at 11:20 they are still showing (or yet to show) some of the prime events of the day…(grumble)
A Belgium athlete who won a medal in judo was robbed and beaten up while celebrating on Copacabana beach.
Also 2 boxers (including the Namibia flag bearer, and one from Morocco) face sexual assault charges for forcing themselves on Olympic village housekeepers.
We, too, thought the Chinese gymnasts looked pre-pubescent even taking into consideration that body type and were talking about that very thing last night.
I got an email today from a friend who is there in Brazil to watch her daughter play (on the Canadian soccer team). She was telling me about the funny list that everyone at Canada House can get along with event and other tourist info. The list was of interesting info about these Olympic games and one of them was that the IOC handed out 450,000 free condoms to the athletes and their team officials!
I keep looking at the Chinese female gymnasts and in my eyes they look between ages 10 and 16. I look at their faces and they look awfully young. I can’t imagine these girls going through such intense training and they look so fragile. I hope there is no hostility towards them when they go back for not winning gold. That is a lot of pressure and weight on their shoulders.
I have a question for the knowledgeable gymnastics followers as I’m kind of a fair weather fan and really only follow the sport during the Olympics:
During the women’s gymnastics coverage last night there was reference to the rules change for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics regarding the number of team members (5 to 4)…can someone explain why these changes are being made and are the changes affecting all international competitions? Also, are there similar changes being made to the men’s competitions?
Thanks in advance to the cc’ers who follow all this and can explain it to newbies like me…
I don’t know why the number of competitors per team is changing, but the rules governing all of the gymnastics disciplines (women’s, men’s, and rhythmic), especially those regarding scoring (Code of Points) change every four years and go into effect after this Olympic season. It’s the international governing body (FIG–International Federation of Gymnastics) that creates the rules. FIG gets input to create the new code from representatives of the various national federations, e.g., USA Gymnastics. FIG also sets the age at which gymnasts are allowed to compete at the senior level.
@NinaReilly - I was in Brazil once, in 1988 or so and Copacabana was a bit sketchy at night. Ipanema/Leblon were the nicer neighborhoods. At lot may have changed since then and all the Olympic activity should make it safer but you never know.
I’ve searched but I can’t find it. Who gets to compete for the women’s gymnastics individual all-around? I’m assuming Simone Biles, and I think it’s Ali Raisman (sp?), but who is third person?
