Yu Zidi- what do we think is going on?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Everyone in sports dopes. It's just a matter of mixing new cocktails that the testers haven't developed tests for.
But for Chinese phenoms, let's consider population proportion. In a nation with that many 12 year old girls, there is a greater likelihood that more of them will have swimming talent than a country with a smaller population of 12 year old girls. Add in the fact that the government identifies and develops sports talent early which really helps.
For instance, the basketball star Yao Ming didn't come out of nowhere. His parents were basketball players plucked by the government. Then their kid was developed when he showed interest and talent.

In the U.S., parental and child interest and accessibility drive sports choice. Kids in Wisconsin funnel towards ice hockey and away from surfing. Kids in aspen are more likely to take up alpine or freeski than kids in Tennessee.

In China, sports choice is driven by physical characteristics. The state will visit schools and measure metrics that help identify talent for particular sports. Kids with big hands and feet, disproportionately large wingspans, and long torsos will be directed towards swim. Strong kids who excel at broad jumping and show explosive skills will be directed towards weightlifting. A kid from a remote village that doesn’t have a pool or a swim team can become an Olympic swimmer, whereas that would never happen in the U.S.

Do you think body type selection is sufficient to develop a world-class athlete in 5-6 years? I can see things happening that quickly for an athlete chosen at 14 who becomes elite at 20-21. But to take a literal child from zero at age 6 and make them the best in the world by age 12 would be the most stunning athletic and coaching development in athletic history.

So if that's what's going on, and if it's real, then China needs to step up and start bragging about their training methods, nutrition, periodization, etc. If they have a population with the genetics and depth to make this possible, then sharing training methods wouldn't be giving away any advantage. It seems weird that no one is coming out and saying "I was her childhood coach and she had x amount of potential from day 1" or "I swam with her in the same training group and we always knew she was going to be a big deal."

Body type is a basic template to start from. George Balanchine who started the NYC ballet which has flowered into many other companies across the US looked at each auditioning child's proportions as well as evaluated those of the child's parents. (The guy ran an incredible dance company and school.)
Then after that, it is up to the talent within the child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Everyone in sports dopes. It's just a matter of mixing new cocktails that the testers haven't developed tests for.
But for Chinese phenoms, let's consider population proportion. In a nation with that many 12 year old girls, there is a greater likelihood that more of them will have swimming talent than a country with a smaller population of 12 year old girls. Add in the fact that the government identifies and develops sports talent early which really helps.
For instance, the basketball star Yao Ming didn't come out of nowhere. His parents were basketball players plucked by the government. Then their kid was developed when he showed interest and talent.

This seems so evil, what China does.

What is evil, developing sports talent?
You know, these kids aren't forced into it. Kind of like how the Kirov ballet develops their people. Early training and the flotsam get weeded out in the process.

Anyone who is a minor doing a sport at a high level is being forced into it by some degree by parents, coaches or other adults. No child has the agency to seek an elite program, get themselves to it, fund it, etc. I say this as a high-level but not elite gymnastics parent who has seen plenty of athletes who are not “forced into it” but also don’t have any other options for how they spend their time once their talent is discovered.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Everyone in sports dopes. It's just a matter of mixing new cocktails that the testers haven't developed tests for.
But for Chinese phenoms, let's consider population proportion. In a nation with that many 12 year old girls, there is a greater likelihood that more of them will have swimming talent than a country with a smaller population of 12 year old girls. Add in the fact that the government identifies and develops sports talent early which really helps.
For instance, the basketball star Yao Ming didn't come out of nowhere. His parents were basketball players plucked by the government. Then their kid was developed when he showed interest and talent.

This seems so evil, what China does.

What is evil, developing sports talent?
You know, these kids aren't forced into it. Kind of like how the Kirov ballet develops their people. Early training and the flotsam get weeded out in the process.

Anyone who is a minor doing a sport at a high level is being forced into it by some degree by parents, coaches or other adults. No child has the agency to seek an elite program, get themselves to it, fund it, etc. I say this as a high-level but not elite gymnastics parent who has seen plenty of athletes who are not “forced into it” but also don’t have any other options for how they spend their time once their talent is discovered.

Is your child forced into it?

[Anonymous]

This makes me want to get a Chinese DD and have her dominate IAS at the shallow pools that are too far away from my house, and I will film her and not volunteer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This makes me want to get a Chinese DD and have her dominate IAS at the shallow pools that are too far away from my house, and I will film her and not volunteer.

Someone is keeping up with all the threads

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This makes me want to get a Chinese DD and have her dominate IAS at the shallow pools that are too far away from my house, and I will film her and not volunteer.

Someone is keeping up with all the threads

“Dopest race!” paper plate award!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This makes me want to get a Chinese DD and have her dominate IAS at the shallow pools that are too far away from my house, and I will film her and not volunteer.

Someone is keeping up with all the threads

“Dopest race!” paper plate award!

nice addition, thanks for playing

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This makes me want to get a Chinese DD and have her dominate IAS at the shallow pools that are too far away from my house, and I will film her and not volunteer.

Bravo!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This makes me want to get a Chinese DD and have her dominate IAS at the shallow pools that are too far away from my house, and I will film her and not volunteer.

Someone is keeping up with all the threads

“Dopest race!” paper plate award!

Chef’s kiss!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just curious, is she super tall or big?

Are we sure she’s actually a girl?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Everyone in sports dopes. It's just a matter of mixing new cocktails that the testers haven't developed tests for.
But for Chinese phenoms, let's consider population proportion. In a nation with that many 12 year old girls, there is a greater likelihood that more of them will have swimming talent than a country with a smaller population of 12 year old girls. Add in the fact that the government identifies and develops sports talent early which really helps.
For instance, the basketball star Yao Ming didn't come out of nowhere. His parents were basketball players plucked by the government. Then their kid was developed when he showed interest and talent.

In the U.S., parental and child interest and accessibility drive sports choice. Kids in Wisconsin funnel towards ice hockey and away from surfing. Kids in aspen are more likely to take up alpine or freeski than kids in Tennessee.

In China, sports choice is driven by physical characteristics. The state will visit schools and measure metrics that help identify talent for particular sports. Kids with big hands and feet, disproportionately large wingspans, and long torsos will be directed towards swim. Strong kids who excel at broad jumping and show explosive skills will be directed towards weightlifting. A kid from a remote village that doesn’t have a pool or a swim team can become an Olympic swimmer, whereas that would never happen in the U.S.

Do you think body type selection is sufficient to develop a world-class athlete in 5-6 years? I can see things happening that quickly for an athlete chosen at 14 who becomes elite at 20-21. But to take a literal child from zero at age 6 and make them the best in the world by age 12 would be the most stunning athletic and coaching development in athletic history.

So if that's what's going on, and if it's real, then China needs to step up and start bragging about their training methods, nutrition, periodization, etc. If they have a population with the genetics and depth to make this possible, then sharing training methods wouldn't be giving away any advantage. It seems weird that no one is coming out and saying "I was her childhood coach and she had x amount of potential from day 1" or "I swam with her in the same training group and we always knew she was going to be a big deal."

Misty Copeland began dancing at 13. At 15, she was named a principal ballerina. Incredibly rare but it can happen.

[Anonymous]

^^ and though it isn’t the exact same as a world dominator, it is still amazing that a kid who danced only two years had the natural ability and drive to achieve something like that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Everyone in sports dopes. It's just a matter of mixing new cocktails that the testers haven't developed tests for.
But for Chinese phenoms, let's consider population proportion. In a nation with that many 12 year old girls, there is a greater likelihood that more of them will have swimming talent than a country with a smaller population of 12 year old girls. Add in the fact that the government identifies and develops sports talent early which really helps.
For instance, the basketball star Yao Ming didn't come out of nowhere. His parents were basketball players plucked by the government. Then their kid was developed when he showed interest and talent.

In the U.S., parental and child interest and accessibility drive sports choice. Kids in Wisconsin funnel towards ice hockey and away from surfing. Kids in aspen are more likely to take up alpine or freeski than kids in Tennessee.

In China, sports choice is driven by physical characteristics. The state will visit schools and measure metrics that help identify talent for particular sports. Kids with big hands and feet, disproportionately large wingspans, and long torsos will be directed towards swim. Strong kids who excel at broad jumping and show explosive skills will be directed towards weightlifting. A kid from a remote village that doesn’t have a pool or a swim team can become an Olympic swimmer, whereas that would never happen in the U.S.

Do you think body type selection is sufficient to develop a world-class athlete in 5-6 years? I can see things happening that quickly for an athlete chosen at 14 who becomes elite at 20-21. But to take a literal child from zero at age 6 and make them the best in the world by age 12 would be the most stunning athletic and coaching development in athletic history.

So if that's what's going on, and if it's real, then China needs to step up and start bragging about their training methods, nutrition, periodization, etc. If they have a population with the genetics and depth to make this possible, then sharing training methods wouldn't be giving away any advantage. It seems weird that no one is coming out and saying "I was her childhood coach and she had x amount of potential from day 1" or "I swam with her in the same training group and we always knew she was going to be a big deal."

Misty Copeland began dancing at 13. At 15, she was named a principal ballerina. Incredibly rare but it can happen.

This is so incorrect it's painful. She was asked to join ABT SCHOOL at 15 and then invited into the company at 18. She was named principal at age 33. Please, if you are going to make a claim, make sure it's right. It does not prove your point.

[Anonymous]

I know I should post this on the dance forum, but what was the depth/distance between the barre and the floor in the studio where Misty Copeland started dance?

[Anonymous]

This thread is t what I thought it would be. I have been thinking that Zidi is really a boy swimming as a girl. She looks like she has a mustache in several photos, has super short hair, no breasts but tall and muscular like a boy could be at 12.

My DD looked much older when she was 12 but in addition to height she had breasts, a period, and facial acne.

Who has verified her age, gender, and other biology to ensure no cheating?