08-16-2008, 01:58 AM
Quote:Ok. I am failing to see what exactly the problem, and how does the age matter in these competitions. It seems that news source just scream about the whole thing but can not explain to me how the age of the competitor would give them an advantage.
Could some one please explain this?
It is significantly easier for girls of 13-14 years of age to do the difficult routines due to the makeup of their bodies. The fact that no other country has girls of this age, puts the Chinese gymnasts at a significant advantage to the other teams. This does not apply to men's Gymnastics since it requires the strength of a basically adult male to do their routines. Notice that the most famous female gymnast in history, Nadia Comaneci, was 14 when she won the Olympics, destroying the competition with 7 perfect 10s, a score that was basically unheard of before. There is a reason for that.
However, why is everyone making such a big deal about this? Considering what the Chinese did with the little girl singer at the opening ceremony.... why all the controversy? It is par for the course with that type of a government.