Did anyone else think the chinese gymnast did not look at least 16 years of age?

[Anonymous]

More importantly, is Bob Costas really 56? I say no way.

From Wiki:

When Costas was first hired by NBC, Don Ohlmeyer, who at the time ran NBC Sports, told the then 28 year old Costas that he looked like a 14 year old. Ohlmeyer presumably based his reaction on Costas' modest stature (Costas is 5' 7" (1.70 m) in height) and boyish, babyfaced appearance

Daddio

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some looked young. But at the end of the day they did not win because they were young, they won because they were better.
BTW, I thought they looked better because they were thinner. You know, mutton vs. lamb.

what a sad commentary. Our Olympic athletes are amazing role models for our young girls. I hope that my daughter ends up a powerful, muscular, accomplished Olympic gymnast instead of an anorexic teenager in Washington, DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some looked young. But at the end of the day they did not win because they were young, they won because they were better.
BTW, I thought they looked better because they were thinner. You know, mutton vs. lamb.

what a sad commentary. Our Olympic athletes are amazing role models for our young girls. I hope that my daughter ends up a powerful, muscular, accomplished Olympic gymnast instead of an anorexic teenager in Washington, DC.

Completely agreed. Is the top poster seriously suggesting that the American gymnasts were fat??? Two of them are more muscular; sure. But it is very clearly muscle. How can they NOT have muscle like that with what they do all day? I don't understand how others (like, for example, the VERY thin American gymnast) didn't build up huge muscles. Nobody says the men look fat, and look at the muscles on them!

[Anonymous]

Some looked young. But at the end of the day they did not win because they were young, they won because they were better.
BTW, I thought they looked better because they were thinner. You know, mutton vs. lamb.

You have GOT to be joking. Deng Linlin (one of the Chinese gymnasts who looks to me like much younger than 16) is reportedly 68 POUNDS. As one SI journo commented, if you have a 68 pound 16 year old, she needs to be in hospital. And if you are actually saying that you prefer a 68 pound 16 year old to a 98 pound one, you should be in one as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't agree on the weight part being the reason the gymnasts look young.. they looked young since they had almost baby teeth and were super small- short- body of a 12 year old more than a 16 year old..

Did you look inside their mouths for the baby teeth? Don't Asians look younger generally?

[Anonymous]

OT, but I wanted to say that I'm 37 and I still have a baby tooth too. Like the other PP, I just don't have an 'adult tooth' under it. The root is shorter than an adult tooth, but its still in there! My dentist says just wait for it to fall out (it will eventually) and then I'll have to have one put in to replace it.

[zumbamama]

I didn't see the Chinese gymnast, so I can't really say...but looking younger than you actually are is pretty common in Asia. Diet, culture, health practices, genes, have everything to do with that. My mom said when she came to the U.S., she was 31 and still getting carded at nightclubs, the grocery store and even the movies! She weighed 79 pounds before she had me, and is 4'11. She still looks 40 something and is nearing 65, and still weighs under 100.

[Anonymous]

Yes, but the Chinese have a reputation for this. Fairly recently, I think, a former olympian came out and admitted that she competed at 14 under these same rules.

[Anonymous]

http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/summer08/gymnastics/news/story?id=3507084

http://www.globesports.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080803.wolymgym3/GSStory/GlobeSportsOther

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Some looked young. But at the end of the day they did not win because they were young, they won because they were better.
BTW, I thought they looked better because they were thinner. You know, mutton vs. lamb.

You have GOT to be joking. Deng Linlin (one of the Chinese gymnasts who looks to me like much younger than 16) is reportedly 68 POUNDS. As one SI journo commented, if you have a 68 pound 16 year old, she needs to be in hospital. And if you are actually saying that you prefer a 68 pound 16 year old to a 98 pound one, you should be in one as well.

They are not anorexic. They are healthier than most of us. Longevity is determined by body weight and blood pressure. I would not want my dd to be anything but thin. That is healthy. Even "medium" in this country is usually too big. Diabetes kills more Americans than anorexia. I don't want my dd to anorexic, just healthy, which means thin.

[Anonymous]

They are not anorexic. They are healthier than most of us. Longevity is determined by body weight and blood pressure. I would not want my dd to be anything but thin. That is healthy. Even "medium" in this country is usually too big. Diabetes kills more Americans than anorexia. I don't want my dd to anorexic, just healthy, which means thin.

Just out of curiosity, I put the vital statistics - 16 years old, 4'7" tall, 68 pounds- of Deng Linlin (the aforementioned Chinese gymnast) into the CDC's body mass calculator for teens. This are the results they gave me:

"Based on the height and weight entered, the BMI is 15.8, placing the BMI-for-age below the 1st percentile for girls aged 16 years. This teen is underweight and should be seen by a healthcare provider for further assessment to determine possible causes of underweight."

Please don't make the argument that you liked the Chinese gymnasts better because they are healthier. And please don't lecture us on health issues if you have no problem with a 68 pound 16 year old. At that point it becomes some very weird body distortion issue on your part.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Some looked young. But at the end of the day they did not win because they were young, they won because they were better.
BTW, I thought they looked better because they were thinner. You know, mutton vs. lamb.

You have GOT to be joking. Deng Linlin (one of the Chinese gymnasts who looks to me like much younger than 16) is reportedly 68 POUNDS. As one SI journo commented, if you have a 68 pound 16 year old, she needs to be in hospital. And if you are actually saying that you prefer a 68 pound 16 year old to a 98 pound one, you should be in one as well.

They are not anorexic. They are healthier than most of us. Longevity is determined by body weight and blood pressure. I would not want my dd to be anything but thin. That is healthy. Even "medium" in this country is usually too big. Diabetes kills more Americans than anorexia. I don't want my dd to anorexic, just healthy, which means thin.

Well, I guess you haven't been reading the news this week - sort of debunks your argument here. Longevity is NOT determined by body weight:

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5g29I8_84cqbWspsmOG8qKF26b3_wD92G9OQO1

[Anonymous]

And I agree with PP that you have some strange body issues that I hope to god you are not passing along to your daughter!

[Anonymous]

Okay, nobody wants fat kids, but, please, using a pre-pubescent Chinese girl as one's body model is just sad.

At the end of the day, this story is about cheating. There is indisputable proof that a couple of those girls are not 16. It does give an advantage, because as girls move through puberty, their center of gravity shifts, which could, in theory, affect their performance.

[Anonymous]

Of course those gymnasts are underage. Everyone knows it. It isn't diet or anything else. Bela Karolyi suggested half their team is underage and I believe it. Anyone who watched them couldn't come to any other conclusion. They weren't 16. Our girls aren't fat -- they are muscular, normal healthy girls.