lily lily:
Why have a maximum age? If they can compete, let them.
$1:
Olga Korbut won a gold medal in 1972 when she was 14 years old. Nadia Comaneci was 14 years old when she received a gold medal in the 1976 Olympics. Problems began surfacing, however, with gymnasts who were subjected to exploitation, control, and both physical and psychological problems, not the least of which was anorexia and bulimia. Kerri Strug, who won our hearts when she competed with a serious injury, later revealed that she was battling with anorexia. A 15 year old who was trying out for the Olympics named Julissa Gomez died after breaking her neck during a vault in 1991. 15 year old Christy Henrich developed anorexia and retired at 18. She died at 22, weighing less than 58 pounds.
There are those that feel that age minimums need to be in place for women’s gymnastics to remain a viable sport and to avoid the exploitation and control that we have seen with young athletes. The control, however, seems to stem more from the nationalistic view toward grooming athletes than pure exploitation. In other words, America does not nationalize their sports programs; however, China and the Soviet Union certainly have and have groomed children from a very young age to be athletes, working out several hours per day and subsidizing all expenses through the government.
The Olympics: An Age Old Problem
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