I think they gymnasts now look way healthier than they did 10-20 years ago.

Anonymous wrote:I agree with you OP. Some of them are more extreme.

Nobody wants to be 4-9 as an adult.

I'm 4'10 at 41. It just is what it is. This is as tall as I was ever going to be.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have to agree, that the intensive training clearly stunts their growth, when they are naturally small to begin with. Simone Biles is 19 years old and 4'8". I have heard of older gymnasts finally growing a little after they ease up on the training but I doubt she will ever be 5 feet tall.

Does their training stunt their growth, or is it that the ones who get taller drop out as their height increases?

It stunts their growth. I know someone who was an elite gymnast and when she competed in high school she was 5'. She quit before college because of an injury, and she grew 7" her freshman year of college. She's no longer petite at all (she's gorgeous, but tall and athletic, not petite).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have to agree, that the intensive training clearly stunts their growth, when they are naturally small to begin with. Simone Biles is 19 years old and 4'8". I have heard of older gymnasts finally growing a little after they ease up on the training but I doubt she will ever be 5 feet tall.

Does their training stunt their growth, or is it that the ones who get taller drop out as their height increases?

I think they are to be diminutive to begin with, but the training is known to stunt growth. It also delays puberty so they do have a chance to grow some in their late teens but they are definitely smaller than they would be if they weren't gymnasts. Mary Lou Retton is 4' 9" tall (at age 48). I don't think that would have been her destiny if she wasn't a (amazing) gymnast.

Training at that level definitely stunts growth. It also delays menstruation. It can cause major joint and bone problems.

It does seem very hard on the body, and I didn't encourage my daughters to pursue gymnastics because of this. I think the ones that win Olympic medals generally think it's worth it....but for every one of those, there must be hundreds of girls with serious knee/ankle/hip problems in their '20s that never made the Olympic team.

Anonymous wrote:Da fuq? They look strong and fit.

+1

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have to agree, that the intensive training clearly stunts their growth, when they are naturally small to begin with. Simone Biles is 19 years old and 4'8". I have heard of older gymnasts finally growing a little after they ease up on the training but I doubt she will ever be 5 feet tall.

Does their training stunt their growth, or is it that the ones who get taller drop out as their height increases?

The training stunts their growth- scientific fact. https://www.quora.com/Does-gymnastics-stunt-growth

Anonymous wrote:I have to agree, that the intensive training clearly stunts their growth, when they are naturally small to begin with. Simone Biles is 19 years old and 4'8". I have heard of older gymnasts finally growing a little after they ease up on the training but I doubt she will ever be 5 feet tall.

Does their training stunt their growth, or is it that the ones who get taller drop out as their height increases?

Anonymous wrote:I agree with you OP. Some of them are more extreme.

Nobody wants to be 4-9 as an adult.

No shit.

I agree with you OP. Some of them are more extreme.

Nobody wants to be 4-9 as an adult.

Da fuq? They look strong and fit.

I have to agree, that the intensive training clearly stunts their growth, when they are naturally small to begin with. Simone Biles is 19 years old and 4'8". I have heard of older gymnasts finally growing a little after they ease up on the training but I doubt she will ever be 5 feet tall.

Um, they look fine.

Their bodies get so distorted by training regime. This doesn't seem to be the case for other sports.