So Little, So Young

Gymnastics is one of the few sports where being younger, smaller, and lighter weight is an advantage. I was somewhat appalled to read an article in the NYT that suggests that two of the girls on the Chinese Olympic women’s gymnastic team may be as much as two years younger than they claim to be.

Since 1997 the minimum age for Olympic eligibility in gymnastics has been 16. Both He Kexin and Jiang Yuyuan have passports that put their age at 16, whereas independent records show each of them to be only 14.

How much difference does two years actually make? Nellie Kim, a five-time Olympic gold medalist for the former Soviet Union, says they are lighter and often more fearless when they perform difficult maneuvers, making it easier to do tricks. She added that psychologically they worry less.

My friend, whose daughter competed in gymnastics at the national level, observed that the lower level of female hormones in the younger girls makes a huge difference, giving their bodies a different shape and center of gravity.

I was surprised at the official reaction to these allegations by an official of USA Gymnastics, who basically said, “If they have valid passports, bring ’em on.”

Then I thought about this issue from the standpoint of a legitimate entrant who had perhaps trained most of her life to compete. It would be infuriating to perhaps be defeated by someone who had been entered with falsified information.

And what about the two girls in question, who would obviously have an excellent chance at competing in four years when they are 18 years old. What sort of life lesson is this for them? It would seem a huge burden to bear the suspicion and accusations that will surround their participation in the Olympics.

The sad truth is that as long as their have been athletic competitions, people have been finding ways to enhance their performance through illegal substances and rule violations. Wouldn’t it be nice to start something as time-honored as the Olympics on a completely even playing field?