[LoneRangerMassachusetts]

When 13 year old Chinese girls beat 18 year old American women, I am not worried about cheating Chinese. I am really worried that young American women could not out perform girls. Doesn’t experience and a more mature body give the woman an advantage. It would seem so in just about every other sport. I personally think some of the sour grape complaints I've heard reflect on a lack of strategy making on the American coaches. They had four years to see this coming.

[Blogger]

The rules are the rules

[johnnycap]

Actually, in “women’s” gymnastics (as in practically no other sport), the peak physical form is 12-15. As for the investigation, it will happen, but not while the games are going on in China. The IOC will not embarrass the ChiComs that way. Within 90 days of the end of the Olympics, look for stirrings on this topic when the IOC is safely back in Geneva and the flame of Bejing has been safely extinguished.
Relax...it will happen.

[Proud_USA_Republican]

"and a more mature body give the woman an advantage".

In women's gymnastics, no.

The US coaches had 4 years to get girls 16 and older ready.

The Chinese coaches had 4 years to get girls of any age ready.

[Tublecane]

“Doesn’t experience and a more mature body give the woman an advantage”

Have you seen 18 year-old gymnasts? Do they look like normal 18 year-olds to you?

[FlyVet]

You must have missed Bela Karolyi's comments. He worked with those little girls for decades. He said it's all fun to them, they don't feel pressure at that age. As the girls get older, they begin to feel pressure.

On top of that, yesterday on the Today show, the American girl who choked said that there was a delay as she prepared to mount the bar. She looked up at the score board, and her name wasn't on it.

That is similar to a batter calling a timeout in the middle of a pitcher's windup.

If you think that was an accident, rather than further Chicom treachery, meet me at Lake Havasu, because I've got a really nice, stately old bridge to sell ya.

[over3Owithabrain]

Might want to modify your comments - American women just took gold and silver in indiv. gymnasts. Chinese baby girl in 3rd

[biff]

A child has better power to weight ratio and the have more flexibility.

[luckystarmom]

It’s actually harder for an older more mature girl than a younger girl.

[GladesGuru]

“Doesn’t experience and a more mature body give the woman an advantage.”

Possibly not. The weight distribution is different for a more mature female and that is not a help for some gymnastic moves - or so I have been told.

[Scotswife]

” Doesn’t experience and a more mature body give the woman an advantage.”

In gymnastics? no.

And I speak from experience.
As an 11 yr. old I loved the uneven bars - they seemed easy to me. I was beating the older girls.

When I was 17 and 18 I hated the bars and was getting pounded by the 11 yr. olds.

That is gymnastics.

However - girls do tend to get better at vaulting as they get older - as long as they don’t get to be extremely tall.

[piytar]

“a more mature body give the woman an advantage”

No, it doesn’t.

[R. Scott]

The younger kids literally know no fear. I remember when I was in the under 15 year age group. Gymnastics is still a game to those girls, and they lack the fear of failure or injury that develops later. Their bodies absorb shock much better and falling doesn’t hurt as much.
But we still took 1st and 2nd. When I watched them on the medals stand I couldn’t help but notice the difference in their physical development. I don’t think the little Chinese girl was over 11 or 12 years old.

[Zhang Fei]

When 13 year old Chinese girls beat 18 year old American women, I am not worried about cheating Chinese. I am really worried that young American women could not out perform girls. Doesn’t experience and a more mature body give the woman an advantage. It would seem so in just about every other sport. I personally think some of the sour grape complaints I've heard reflect on a lack of strategy making on the American coaches. They had four years to see this coming.

Younger gymnasts have an advantage. Chinese national championships are open to all ages. The under-age Chinese gymnasts you see at the Olympics are the winners of these national contests. In other words, they defeated Chinese gymnasts older than they were.