Watching the lady gymnists now. I find it interesting that the Chinese list a whole province for 'home', vs. a city.

I asked Wallybee about this. She said that the gymnasts are first selected for the provincial team. The provincial teams compete against each other, and it's through performance in that competition that the national team gets selected. That's her guess on why they're identified by province, because it's the avenue by which they make it to the national team.

omnis, not to harp, but I think amych's point was about the term "lady" gymnasts, as opposed to women.

What is the advantage for having super young gymnasts? Maybe some of them could be on the edge of 16, but that wee little thing can't be anywhere near 16.

Yes, what Brenda said -- I'd never dream of correcting your spelling. But "lady" diminishes what they do as athletes.

At least two of the Chinese gymnasts who are currently listed as 16 were listed as 12 just two years ago.

What is the advantage for having super young gymnasts?

It was discussed a good bit in Natter the other day by people who know way more about gymnastics than I ever will, but in a nutshell, tiny=better balance and prepubescent=not having to relearn all your skills to account for hips. The age limit used to be 14, but when they raised it to 16, the incentive for forging papers on some kids who aren't anywhere near the required age must have gone through the roof. For those teams that would do such a thing, of course.

What is the advantage for having super young gymnasts?

Shorter = lower center of gravity, better balance, less likely to get really close to the edge of the floor on a tumbling pass, able to get way better rotations on bars. Younger = less likely to question what the coaches tell them to do. (Well, from several interviews I've seen with Bela Karolyi, I get the feeling that that's why he wants to work with younger gymnasts, anyway.)

Also, in the Chinese system, where the girls start training really intensely really young, some of them might not make it to 16 before they get to the point where their joints can't take the strain of competition-level training anymore. In countries where they start training a bit older, that's less of an issue.

But "lady" diminishes what they do as athletes.

How? When did "lady" become derogatory?

How? When did "lady" become derogatory?

Gentlemen's gymnastics? Gentlemen's volleyball? If the men are doing it, then it's probably women who are into it, too. Some of that stuff is hard to accomplish if you are merely glistening.

Twisted as it is, I'm often really glad I've NEVER been thin. So SHE (that I-was-so-thin-back-at-such-and-such chick) doesn't haunt me. I'm about the same size I was in high school. I did have a few years right after high school that I was below 200 lbs. (at barely 5'3"), and I wouldn't mind going back. But I've never been thin, so I have no idea what I'm missing, and I think I'm better off.

If I had ever been thin, I wouldn't be wondering when it was my turn. I mean, yeah, it's fucking hilarious that my cheerleader in high school sister and my 5'10" 120 lbs., first out of the plane, last on the ground in paratrouper training brother have double chins now, considering how they teased me when I was young. But seriously, when is it going to be my turn to be skinny?

And, while I'm complaining, why do they think that as people get fatter their arms also get longer?

About the same reason they don't get that our arms are fatter as well.

The gastric bypass (? is that the formal name) is kind of evil. People talk about it like it's the easy solution.

When a Nurse Practitioner brought it up to me, I said, "I know six people who have had that surgery. NONE of them are skinny now, and three of them had to declare bankruptsy to deal with their medical bills. I need a solution that will relieve my body of this fat more efficiently than it will relieve my wallet of its money." And then I saw the special on obesity on PBS in spring of 2007. IIRC, while the vast majority of gastric bypass patients do lose enough weight that they can call it a success, only 5% actually reach a "normal" weight.

According to my calculations, there were, in fact, TWO cats!

Omnis, dude, do we need to get out the bubble wrap? Also, how many cats are there now? Because according to my calculations, there are currently 2.796 cats - one at the point of origin and the rest are at the destination.

P.S. When the hell did I start liking cottage cheese? I swear it used to be nasssssty. And now I'm craving it.

Twisted as it is, I'm often really glad I've NEVER been thin. So SHE (that I-was-so-thin-back-at-such-and-such chick) doesn't haunt me. I'm about the same size I was in high school. I did have a few years right after high school that I was below 200 lbs. (at barely 5'3"), and I wouldn't mind going back. But I've never been thin, so I have no idea what I'm missing, and I think I'm better off.

If I had ever been thin, I wouldn't be wondering when it was my turn. I mean, yeah, it's fucking hilarious that my cheerleader in high school sister and my 5'10" 120 lbs., first out of the plane, last on the ground in paratrouper training brother have double chins now, considering how they teased me when I was young. But seriously, when is it going to be my turn to be skinny?

Oh, I'll definitely say that the fact that 75% of the women in my family (Mom's side anyway) are all built as some variation of me makes it easier. Other than my (blocky, barrel-chested, technically not fat, per se, but still far from skinny) brother, no one ever teased about fat in my family (and my brother was an ass on every subject). And I can definitely see the genetics in action (I call it the S [Mom's maiden name] Butt, and it's apparently a dominant gene that breeds true - male cousin safe, but his daughter got it). My mother has her own issues that she dropped at my doorstep that I've had to work to get off of my metaphorical shoes, but at least I've never felt it was MY FAULT. And never figured I was going to get a turn.

Wow. The number and variety of BIDs there are...