buffettbride wrote:and keep in mind, they have to be 16 in the olympic year, so they can actually be 15, as long as they turn 16 before dec 31st. at least that's how i've interpreted it.
i know in a few other events, they've said that a few players have had their 16th birthdays during or just before/after the olympics.
Michael Phelps was 15 in the last Olympics..........
Those little girls though........that's just it, they're little girls.
The thought of them being taken from their families at the age of 3 to 5 and put in training.....seeing their families ONCE a year......all for a SPORT?
I know there are differences in cultures blah blah blah, but that just seems sick and wrong to me.
Ummm Michael is 23 in this Olympics. So he would have been 19 last time..not that it matters any.
buffettbride wrote:and keep in mind, they have to be 16 in the olympic year, so they can actually be 15, as long as they turn 16 before dec 31st. at least that's how i've interpreted it.
i know in a few other events, they've said that a few players have had their 16th birthdays during or just before/after the olympics.
I believe it's only gymnastics for the "16" rule, and that is a fairly recent change after concerns were raised about the gymnasts' stunted growth. Tom Daley, the diver from Great Britain, is only 14. Given the "machine" that China has implemented to produce Olympic athletes, it wouldn't be difficult to start doctoring their birth certificates when they start them at 3. What p*** me off is that in the interest of not marring the games (or the hosts ) the IOC isn't even challenging it, saying that their passports are proof enough. WTF? And passports are never faked....right.
Little League Baseball has had problems with this age issue for years. I am amazed at the amount of money that is spent on AMATEUR athletics. Especially in some of these sports that have zero financial value at the professional level.
ph4ever wrote:I'd be willing to bet that their looks are because of delayed puberity. Think about it ladies, we all know that all kinds of things can affect the mensus cycle. These girls, training since 3 - they are probably given diets to supress their growth - to keep them small.
Anyway that's my theory
I don't necessarily disagree, but I think it is also in conjunction with being younger than they say. Heck, one only needs to look at our past Olympic teams to know that we did the same growth stunting to our girls. You can keep them smaller in stature, but faces and mannerisms will still mature. I look at Deng Linlin and the way she stands and walks looks just like my niece...that of a little girl. And look how her teammates treat her...they all mother her. That was another big giveaway for me.
ph4ever wrote:I'd be willing to bet that their looks are because of delayed puberity. Think about it ladies, we all know that all kinds of things can affect the mensus cycle. These girls, training since 3 - they are probably given diets to supress their growth - to keep them small.
Anyway that's my theory
I'm sure there's some validity to your theory......they have a negative body fat percentage.....and that messes up growth and female hormones as well.
Paige in Utah
"Don't try to shake it, just nod your head
Breathe in, breathe out, move on"
ph4ever wrote:I'd be willing to bet that their looks are because of delayed puberity. Think about it ladies, we all know that all kinds of things can affect the mensus cycle. These girls, training since 3 - they are probably given diets to supress their growth - to keep them small.
Anyway that's my theory
I'm sure there's some validity to your theory......they have a negative body fat percentage.....and that messes up growth and female hormones as well.
also over training can really mess up the female body especially the menstrual cycle of young adult. There has been many studies done on this.
buffettbride wrote:and keep in mind, they have to be 16 in the olympic year, so they can actually be 15, as long as they turn 16 before dec 31st. at least that's how i've interpreted it.
i know in a few other events, they've said that a few players have had their 16th birthdays during or just before/after the olympics.
Michael Phelps was 15 in the last Olympics..........
Those little girls though........that's just it, they're little girls.
The thought of them being taken from their families at the age of 3 to 5 and put in training.....seeing their families ONCE a year......all for a SPORT?
I know there are differences in cultures blah blah blah, but that just seems sick and wrong to me.
Ummm Michael is 23 in this Olympics. So he would have been 19 last time..not that it matters any.
This is Phelps 3rd Olympics, so he's been 15, 19, and 23.
I'm about done watching swimming every night and ready to move onto something else. Phelps is great, no doubt, but it kinda skews the results when you can enter in 8 or 10 events, but a boxer or softball player gets one shot at a medal.
The relay last night just wasn't even a race. Since all the races Phelps wasn't favored to win are over (and won by Phelps), it has lost some of it's luster. It isn't as exciting when you know he's going to win by 25m.
I'm taking the night off from the Olympics because these 11:30pm bedtimes are killing me (reminds me of hockey playoffs).
chippewa wrote:Just turned on the TV a half-hour ago for the ceremonies. I'll watch some of the summer games, but not nearly as much as I do the winter games. Much easier to watch hours of television in the wintertime in Michigan.
Plus, I like all seeing the Scandanavian and smaller European countries excel in the winter games. And many of the winter sports are only on TV every four years, so I'll even watch curling and X-country skiing just to see something different.
chippewa wrote:Just turned on the TV a half-hour ago for the ceremonies. I'll watch some of the summer games, but not nearly as much as I do the winter games. Much easier to watch hours of television in the wintertime in Michigan.
Plus, I like all seeing the Scandanavian and smaller European countries excel in the winter games. And many of the winter sports are only on TV every four years, so I'll even watch curling and X-country skiing just to see something different.
Curling rocks!!!!
Cate
"When you realize how perfect everything is you will tilt your head back and laugh at the sky." ~ Buddha
buffettbride wrote:The relay last night just wasn't even a race. Since all the races Phelps wasn't favored to win are over (and won by Phelps), it has lost some of it's luster. It isn't as exciting when you know he's going to win by 25m.
I'm taking the night off from the Olympics because these 11:30pm bedtimes are killing me (reminds me of hockey playoffs).
Last night's swimming was great. I looked at my wife at 10:30 and said I was going to bed. I need a night off also. I think cleaning the garage and listening to my Ipod might be a nice.
buffettbride wrote:and keep in mind, they have to be 16 in the olympic year, so they can actually be 15, as long as they turn 16 before dec 31st. at least that's how i've interpreted it.
i know in a few other events, they've said that a few players have had their 16th birthdays during or just before/after the olympics.
Michael Phelps was 15 in the last Olympics..........
Those little girls though........that's just it, they're little girls.
The thought of them being taken from their families at the age of 3 to 5 and put in training.....seeing their families ONCE a year......all for a SPORT?
I know there are differences in cultures blah blah blah, but that just seems sick and wrong to me.
Ummm Michael is 23 in this Olympics. So he would have been 19 last time..not that it matters any.
This is Phelps 3rd Olympics, so he's been 15, 19, and 23.
okay....yeah, I skipped an olympics.....I knew he was fifteen in his first one.....I feel much better about my Mrs. Robinson-esque thoughts knowing he's 23.
Paige in Utah
"Don't try to shake it, just nod your head
Breathe in, breathe out, move on"
buffettbride wrote:and keep in mind, they have to be 16 in the olympic year, so they can actually be 15, as long as they turn 16 before dec 31st. at least that's how i've interpreted it.
i know in a few other events, they've said that a few players have had their 16th birthdays during or just before/after the olympics.
Michael Phelps was 15 in the last Olympics..........
Those little girls though........that's just it, they're little girls.
The thought of them being taken from their families at the age of 3 to 5 and put in training.....seeing their families ONCE a year......all for a SPORT?
I know there are differences in cultures blah blah blah, but that just seems sick and wrong to me.
Ummm Michael is 23 in this Olympics. So he would have been 19 last time..not that it matters any.
This is Phelps 3rd Olympics, so he's been 15, 19, and 23.
okay....yeah, I skipped an olympics.....I knew he was fifteen in his first one.....I feel much better about my Mrs. Robinson-esque thoughts knowing he's 23.
) the IOC isn't even challenging it, saying that their passports are proof enough. WTF? And passports are never faked....right. 
