Olympic gymnasts

by Charli Plant

The 2008 Olympics in Beijing highlighted a major controversy in the world of gymnastics. The ages of three Chinese gymnasts were called into question, all appearing to be under the minimum age of 16. Despite dubious proof of age documentation, the International Olympic Committee did not delve.

Underage gymnasts raise alarms

The young age of gymnasts raises issues of emotional and physical demands, sacrificed childhoods and future uncertainties on retirement from the sport. Strict age restrictions at professional level may alleviate some of the problems.

Rochelle Sanders, 22, a gymnastics coach from Watford, has been teaching young children, mostly four or five years old, for eight years.

She said: “Some are there just as a hobby. It’s a great way to keep fit and make new friends.

“I know children with ability, as young as six, express a desire to become a professional athlete and compete at Olympic level.”

The physical impact of gymnastics on the body can be brutal; many athletes have died from sport-related injuries.

Dr Moshe Ipp, professor of paediatrics at the University of Toronto, said: “Most elite gymnasts do not pass through childhood and adolescence without injury, because of the intense repetitive and high-impact nature of this sport.

“The risk of injury increases with longer practice time, the difficulty of the routines, and age-related vulnerability of the skeletal system. Reported injuries include stress fractures, growth-plate fractures, and spinal injuries.

“Training more than 18 hours a week before and during puberty may alter the growth rate and prevent the attainment of full adult height.”

Fatal repercussions

Julissa Gomez and Christy Henrich, two ‘90s US Olympic gymnasts, died as a result of dedication to their sport. Gomez suffered paralysis after breaking her neck during a vault, and died four years later, aged 19, of spinal complications. Henrich died, aged 22, from the eating disorder, anorexia nervosa, after retiring, aged 18.

Eating disorders have been prevalent in Olympic-level gymnastics for over 30 years, due to demand on body image and the skin-tight outfits they must wear.

Due to demand on perfect body image and the skin-tight outfits they must wear, Olympic-level gymnasts have long been associated with eating disorders. The official 2010 Olympic website gives the fact that “the word ‘gymnastics’ comes from the Greek for ‘naked’ – early gymnasts used to perform without any clothes.”

Dr Ipp said: “The prevalence of eating disorders among female athletes is reportedly between 15 and 62 per cent, whereas in the general population it’s 1 per cent for anorexia, and 3 per cent for bulimia.

The psychological effects

Much academic research has been carried out on the psychological effects of young professional athletes.

Beth Tweddle is a gymnast in Team GB 2012. She is practically a veteran now at the age of 24.

Tweddle, speaking about self-motivation, said: “The hardest part of training is waking up, knowing you’ve got a six-hour day ahead of you in the gym, and doing the same thing over and over again.”

The pressure and sacrifice have serious consequences. Sanders said: “Injuries are extremely common, especially at professional level where there is training intensity.”

And athletes defining themselves solely by their sport have developed traits of “athletic identity”, such as no self-worth, depression and failure to identify career alternatives.

Pushy parents

Are pushy parents harming their children? Sanders said: “Parents play a key role in encouraging their kids to be better. There is a competitive nature even between the parents, never mind the children. However, to compete at such a high level comes with a price – even more so when the kids are so young.”