Gymnastic Classes

If an athlete is good enough to qualify for the Olympics — then they should be allowed to compete — regardless of age. And it seems silly to me that there is minimum age requirements for some events in the Olympics and not others. One of the female US swimmers, for instance, is only 15 years-old and and there is a 14 year-old British diver — both of whom are both legally competing. In addition, it also seems silly to allow a gymnast to practice over 50 hours a week and compete in all other competitions, but not in the Olympics. It also seems silly that the International Gymnastic Federation (IGF) should dictate the rules for the Olympics instead of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Plus, a significant reason the US women gymnastics team did not take home the team gold is because they made numerous mistakes. However, that all being said, a rule is a rule and the lack of follow-up by the IOC and the IGF over the Chinese gymnasts’ ages is, well, silly. The rule, implemented b …