Have female gymnasts changed since I was younger?

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V

Via

Diamond Member
Jan 14, 2009
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I'm not a gymastics fan, but sometimes I'll watch it when the olympics come around. I thought I remember them being extremely slender and graceful, like ballerinas. Shannon Miller is one of the first I remember:

shannon.miller.jpg


When she came down after a jump you could barely hear it.

I just watched a routine on TV, and these girls are shaped like mini linebackers. I think this is the girl I saw:

alexandra-raisman-and-team-usa-adidas-purple-workout-leotard-gallery.png


Has something changed in gymnastics over the years? Are the girls older now? Or is the feeling that increased muscle mass is a good thing and allows for more extreme moves?

I haven't seen a routine during these olympic trials I would describe as graceful. Don't get me wrong - there's nothing wrong with a healthy woman, but these gymnasts nowadays don't seem to be able to keep their balance very well despite all of the athletic things they can do.

Every routine seems full of waggles and corrections.
 
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waggy

waggy

No Lifer
Dec 14, 2000
68,143
10
81
seemed they had the fucking mic right next to it. They did say the stuff the girls are doing today is far harder then they did years ago. but i was not impressed with how the girls did on the balance beam.

the floor they did a lot better.

and yes it sure does seem they are so much more muscled then they used to be.
 
GasX

GasX

Lifer
Feb 8, 2001
29,033
6
81
waggy said:
very beautiful and graceful but saying that it as not very technically hard. i think that is where it comes in.

the routines that some do today are far harder and take more power.
Click to expand...
true - grace and form has lost out to technical difficulty
 
B

BladeVenom

Lifer
Jun 2, 2005
13,365
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Shanon Miller's American rival in 92 was Kim Zmeskal.

kim5.jpg


I think Mary Lou Retton was also bulkier than Shanon Miller.

Something else that has changed is the age. Shanon Miller was 15 in her 1st Olympics, and some of the other were 14. Now 16 is the minimum age for the Olympics.
 
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Triumph

Triumph

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
15,031
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and look at shawn johnson. built like Ram Man, one olympics and she's burned out. has joint problems fitting a 60 year old.
 
J

jme5343

Platinum Member
Nov 21, 2003
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It has everything to do with all the hormones they inject in cows for milk / increased meat production. And chickens, turkeys and bananas. Minus the milk part. And minus the banana part.

/tinfoilhat
 
CPA

CPA

Elite Member
Nov 19, 2001
30,322
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BladeVenom said:
Shanon Miller's American rival in 92 was Kim Zmeskal.

kim5.jpg


I think Mary Lou Retton was also bulkier than Shanon Miller.

Something else that has changed is the age. Shanon Miller was 15 in her 1st Olympics, and some of the other were 14. Now 16 is the minimum age for the Olympics.
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You sure about that? US has a female swimmer that is 15.
 
U

unokitty

Diamond Member
Jan 5, 2012
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I don't follow women's gymnastics. Though, I have attended a few University meets. Decades ago, when I was an undergrad had a friend that was an all-american. (On the cover of the brochure for one of the All American Meets even.)

With any sport, such as women's gymnastics, that employs judges, I would expect that there would be trends that the judges would reward. And that, over time, those trends would evolve.

So, in response to the OP, I would expect that the sport would evolve over time. Whether or not the athletes are more muscular now, I couldn't say. Though, that certainly seems to be the trend in many of the mens sports.

Uno
 
V

Via

Diamond Member
Jan 14, 2009
4,670
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It definitely seems to have evolved in a certain direction.

Maybe it's been going on for a while (I don't really know), but the change in body type and resultant loss of "grace" really struck me while I was watching today.
 
SKORPI0

SKORPI0

Lifer
Jan 18, 2000
18,469
2,409
136
Considering that they start training at an early age and probably have better food/diet/regimen, yes they are physically better than those in the 70s/80s/early 90s. If they want to be in the Olympics (their ultimate goal), they usually have 3 chances to qualify for their country or even be qualified for the Olympic trials. At ages 16, 20, then 24 if they are lucky. Beyond that age they will have better/younger competitors.
 
T

the DRIZZLE

Platinum Member
Sep 6, 2007
2,956
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Knowing nothing of gymnastics, I would hypothesize that it's due to a change in training methods and nutrition. In the past they probably only training by actually doing gymnastics. Now they likely incorporate weight training, plyometrics, and other modern methods.
 
S

ShawnD1

Lifer
May 24, 2003
15,987
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The male ones look like they could try out for Mr. Olympia
2005206398291567294_rs.jpg



The female ones should have breast implants. That would sure up the challenge.
 
waggy

waggy

No Lifer
Dec 14, 2000
68,143
10
81
ShawnD1 said:
The male ones look like they could try out for Mr. Olympia
2005206398291567294_rs.jpg



The female ones should have breast implants. That would sure up the challenge.
Click to expand...

have you watched male gymnastics? they are all in amazing shape. but then the things they do are flat out amazing. LOTS of strength moves.
 
B

BladeVenom

Lifer
Jun 2, 2005
13,365
16
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SKORPI0 said:
If they want to be in the Olympics (their ultimate goal), they usually have 3 chances to qualify for their country or even be qualified for the Olympic trials. At ages 16, 20, then 24 if they are lucky. Beyond that age they will have better/younger competitors.
Click to expand...

I'd say at 16, and 20 if they are lucky. None of the gymnasts from 2008 were able to make the team. 24 seems to be too old.

2012 Team:
Jordyn Wieber 16
Gabrielle Douglas 16
McKayla Maroney 16
Aly Raisman 18
Kyla Ross 15 (She'll be 16 in time)
 
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