Dominique Moceanu Interview on the "Dark Side" of gymnastics

[lannamavity]

This does not make sense? There are many elite gymnasts - only a few will be Olympic gymnasts. Right now Chellsie is preparing for what she probably considers the single most important gymnastics competition of her life. I am sure she has adjusted her diet to what is optimal for her.

Actually, that makes no sense at all.

Maybe they used to do that back in the 80's, but it's not good for a gymnast to make any kind of drastic change in regards to training or eating...in fact, that's how many athletes in the past have gotten hurt.

The interview wasn't about the lead up to the Olympics...it was about what she eats while she trains.

 

[Ingymmom]

Wha...huh???

That interview was done before she knew she was on the team, and does this mean that an athlete's calorie requirements change the day they find out they made the team?

I don't know when she was interviewed, but I do know she was at the very least training for a spot on the Olympic Team at the time of the interview. It could have been that she changed her diet months or weeks ago or maybe even a year - I can't say. My point is that when she made the decision to train for a spot on the Olympic team and then consequently made the team she most likely would have to adjust her diet for her own optimal performance.

 

[gymdog]

Also, if she was trying to lose weight anyway it doesn't make that much sense. Eating below your basal metabolic rate, or whatever the heck they call it (too lazy to look it up) isn't a good weight loss strategies, particularly for adults when the metabolism is slowing down anyway (not that I advocate it for young girls or teens, I'm just saying). You might lose weight in the short term (although your body might go into starvation mode and burn less calories anyway) but you'll slow down your metabolism and would likely end up gaining a lot of weight as soon as you started eating normally. There's really no good reason to severely restrict calories below the baseline.

However, I have no idea what the heck Chellsie eats, and I think her comments may have been misinterpreted along the lines of a what do you eat three meals a day reasoning. If she has been under the guidance of anyone with any idea/generally uses common sense, she probably eats more than three smaller meals a day. So her last meal of the day might be something light, but she could have had more food over the day and was just answering first meal, middle meal, last meal. I don't think now would be the time to significantly change eating habits as far as total caloric intake, although of course what those calories are made up of might be focused more seriously.

 

[lannamavity]

Also, if she was trying to lose weight anyway it doesn't make that much sense. Eating below your basal metabolic rate, or whatever the heck they call it (too lazy to look it up) isn't a good weight loss strategies, particularly for adults when the metabolism is slowing down anyway (not that I advocate it for young girls or teens, I'm just saying). You might lose weight in the short term (although your body might go into starvation mode and burn less calories anyway) but you'll slow down your metabolism and would likely end up gaining a lot of weight as soon as you started eating normally. There's really no good reason to severely restrict calories below the baseline.

However, I have no idea what the heck Chellsie eats, and I think her comments may have been misinterpreted along the lines of a what do you eat three meals a day reasoning. If she has been under the guidance of anyone with any idea/generally uses common sense, she probably eats more than three smaller meals a day. So her last meal of the day might be something light, but she could have had more food over the day and was just answering first meal, middle meal, last meal. I don't think now would be the time to significantly change eating habits as far as total caloric intake, although of course what those calories are made up of might be focused more seriously.

HBO got their dramatic effect...and that's what it was all about.
If that kid really ate a piece of fruit for breakfast and dinner, and some chicken for lunch, imagine what she would look like.

 

[sportsfanatic]

I too thought perhaps HBO did a poor job in editing Chellsie's response in regards to what she eats. I would be absolutely shocked if her coach- her DAD- allows her to eat that little. I HOPE that what she said is not true, as this does NOT set a good example for the little girls(and guys) who look up to her. If it is in fact true that this all she eats, her body is in for a shock when she begins eating again.

 

[NYgymfan]

I would assume that what Chellsie eats when training for elite and training for Olympics would be very similar, if not the same. Wouldn't she *always* want to eat so as to perform the best that she could? I would think there might be some little diet tweaks, especially now that she has a nutritionist which she might not have had before, but i would hope she has always been eating right throughout her training.

 

[LiveLaughTumble047]

I really think people are blowing Chellsie's comments out of proportion. When people ask you what you eat every day, you probably don't say everything. She probably got nervous, knowing a lot of people would see the interview. I also think Chellsie looks healthy, and don't think people should be concerned about it. It's not like she looks sickly, or stick-thin.

I agree i think perhaps chellsie was just trying to get across the point that she eats healthy including protein and fruit, and i high doubt that she eats the exact same thing everyday. eating healthy was probably what she was stressing, she doesn't eat a big mac or something.

I also find it interesting that this convo slowly drifted away from dom to chellsie eating fruit. i am sure she probably eats more than that. what young woman wants to say they totally pigged out at dinner etc. no you want to appear as though you are watching what you eat and she just happened to take it to an extreme which is gymnastics for you.

i think this is why people like dom don't speak up....because they never seem to grasp enough people's attention, also it is very possible she did not speak up until now because you do not really truly realize the impact gymnastics bears on your lifestyles until you stop and try to continue that gymnastics lifestyle and habits only to realize how unnecessary they may be in the 'real world'

 

[Granny Smith]

I think why Chellsie keeps coming up is because it is not hearsay, it is out of her own mouth. I am sorry, but I have to assume that is what she eats, because she said that is what she eats. I think it would of come across better if she said, oh I eat a lot of things, like fruit and chicken for protein, but she stated very matter of factly that she at a piece of fruit for breakfast, chicken with fruit for lunch and more fruit for dinner. She went so far as to defend herself as to why she just eats fruit for dinner. The interviewer seemed like he was trying to give her an out and she just stuck to her story and was like duh, of course this is what I eat.

I personally would like to think that she is regretting that whole clip that appeared on Real Sports. I do not see any positive angle to it, if anything it is damaging - look at all the negative talk about it here.

I do wish her the best of luck at the Olympics and to the rest of the girls too, but in the future she should be careful of what she says in an interview. I guess she learned a life lesson - of course she is probably obvious to the all the negativity her interview has created.

 

[KBT]

I think Domi is speaking out now because she's most concerned with the method of selecting the Olympic team. And because we're in the Olympic team selection mode right now, the timing of the comments seems appropriate.

Papa Memmel may not be able to keep close track of what Chellsie eats. She does have her own house that I bet she's moved into by now so she'd be cooking on her own. She has dropped some weight recently so I would not be at all surprised if she was eating more a few months ago.

Doubt we'll get Rybacki as NTC next year. Marta has expressed her desire to continue as NTC, and Steve has expressed his reservations at becoming NTC.

 

[Deleted member 1703]

When I listened to the interview, I heard Chellsie say that she ate cereal and fruit for breakfast, not just fruit. I guess cereal also implies milk (well it does in our house, anyway).

 

[whipback]

I didn't read the other posts, but I kind of read the articles. I never like Dominque. At least I never liked her gymnastics, now I don't like her as a person. She isn't a gymnast anymore so what right does she have to say the Karoyli's jobs should be taken away? NONE AT ALL! They arn't affecting her anymore. And how can she speak for other gymnasts saying the athletes want change. SHUT UP DOMINQUE!

 

[gymdog]

It's not inconceivable that she would have an opinion. Or that she gets media requests in an Olympic year. Most media outlets aren't randomly interested in this story in 2007.

 

[whipback]

Were you responding to me gymdog? Cause I didn't really understand the point you were trying to get across.

 

[gymdog]

Personally I thought it touched on some points that weren't necessarily addressed in your post, but I'm open to other interpretations.

 

[TheCoachsCoach]

Dominique Moceanu needs to stop complaining. I am sick of this whining. She tried to make a comeback under a different coach, a coach she often argued with in front of many people (especially at the Parkette's gym where her coach commented that she was more interested in boys and parties than she was her own sport).

A sport is exactly that, a sport. The athlete's that make it to the Olympic's aren't there because their coaches took it easy on them, aren't there because their coaches let them eat skittles and m&m's and stay up late watching cartoon network. They make it to the Olympic's because they are the elite echelon. They are the top. They are the strongest, the survivors, they are the epitome of what the word ATHLETE means. It is upsetting to see how many people here agree with Dominique's complaining. WHAT SPORT doesn't have INJURY? Gymnastic's is a sport where you use your body to execute EVERYTHING so obviously there will be stress fractures, torn tibia's, wrist fractures, it happens, get over it. We're not babies. We send 18 yr old's to war in Iraq, and you wanna complain about sending your 14 yr old to gymnastics? Are we serious people? God forbid we analyze Ballet, maybe they should stop standing on their toes. Maybe baseball players should use a sponge ball, maybe tennis players should play ping pong, maybe boxers should hit a little lighter... What exactly is this argument about? Its nonsensical.

Dom, don't knock how Bela and Marta coach -- it was that coaching that brought you and about a handful of other athlete's to the olympics. Ugh. Enough.

 

[greyhoundrescue]

The Karolyis are extreme, yes, but they are simply a reflection of their culture and the ideas many hold in this sport. My background is more in ballet and believe me, the things ballerinas bodies are put through are the same and even worse because of the dominance of the Russian methodology. Consider that the thinnest of the gymnasts on the US team, with the possible exception of Liukin who is built more like a ballerina than a gymnast, would be fat compared to a ballerina of the same talent level. Is this wrong? Health-wise, probably. Talent-wise? I don't know if it is wrong, but it sure seems outmoded and outdated in gymnastics--just look at the poor showing of the Russians, Romanians, and other former Soviet-Bloc teams in this year's gymnastics. The sport has changed with the times, but many people in the sport haven't changed with it. With the sport turning increasingly towards a pure emphasis on tricks, strength, and power, the things the Russian methodolgy produced so well (both in gymnastics AND ballet) are not as important. It's still a valid methodology, but will it still be producing gold medalists 12 years from now? (Heck, even 4 years from know given the way the Olympics went) I put my daughters in this sport because I wanted an outlet for their energy and because I like that, unlike with dance, very young children can study it and still have fun (in the world of ballet, training before age 5 is highly frowned upon). Coming into their fourth year of study, turns out they aren't half bad. If by some unconceived of miracle (and no I am NOT a stage mom or one of those parents who has Olympic dreams for their children) they reach Elite, I would hesitate before sending them to the Karolyis. Whether they produced winners in the past or not, they aren't producing them anymore. The best training available does not seem to be in their gym. Do I think they should have such control over US gymnastics? Frankly, I think that's a moot point. Bela is old, he didn't present the US, himself, or the team well on television, and people far smarter than I seem to be realizing they should start looking elsewhere. Marta's always been more "behind-the-scenes", but if Bela's out, I'm sure she would be as well. I highly doubt the pair will have much control over US gymnastics in the years to come. Does that mean that the new game in town will be any better? Honestly, I hope so, but who knows. I'd say it's smart for us to start watching the Liukins and Johnson's coach more closely. Both are obviously talented coaches, both seem to have a different approach than Karolyis, and both are certainly younger. I wouldn't be surprised to see one of them (or another equally talented and sought after coach) to take the helm in the next few years.

 

[greyhoundrescue]

I forgot to add the most important part:
What bee got in your bonnet, Dom? Your comeback failed. Sorry, but that was 2 years ago! Get over it! Placing all the blame for whatever hurt or emptiness you feel on the Karolyis or any coach for that matter is wrong and petty, plain and simple.
I might agree that the Karolyis aren't all that anymore, but I would never suggest that they caused any of your problems. Sorry, but life sucks. Get used to it. You weren't so young when you started with them that you couldn't have said "no" if you disagreed. You made your bed, you're going to have to lie in. The injuries and setbacks you faced were terrible and unfortunate, but they could have happened to anyone at your level. They HAVE happened to countless girls who never made it to your level. Be grateful for the experiences you did have, what you did achieve, and stop living in the past.

 

[lannamavity]

Sorry, but life sucks. Get used to it. You weren't so young when you started with them that you couldn't have said "no" if you disagreed.

This is very debatable, and I believe that is is Dominique's main point...she didn't have a choice as a 12 year old child. I'm not sure that her comeback has much to do with it.

 

[Billy]

This is very debatable, and I believe that is is Dominique's main point...she didn't have a choice as a 12 year old child. I'm not sure that her comeback has much to do with it.

Spoken like someone who doesn't have a 12 year old...

 

[kgymn]

I think many of you are forgetting that we are talking about children here. No child can think or act like an adult and no child should be treated like an adult. Kids brains aren't fully developed, they aren't actually CAPABLE physically of making the best decisions. (actually, technically people don't have their frontal lobe, which is the part responsible for decision making/logic, fully developed until between 21-25.) It's called child development and for some reason people like to ignore the "child" part when it comes to elite gymnastics. Plus all kids temperaments are different, one 12 year may have no problem asserting them self and saying no (and their parent may be more likely to listen to it!!) than another. I know even into highschool if I chose an activity for the season I was not ALLOWED to quit until the season was over. Once I agreed to do it once, it was no longer my choice.

Seriously, yes it's an elite level sport but is that supposed to take precedence over these athletes being KIDS? Just because they have talent and have made it far, they're supposed to no longer act in a developmentally appropriate way? Are they seriously ,as CHILDREN, supposed to be single minded sports machines???

NO. They really aren't. And so what if Dominique had arguments with a coach, and that coach told her she was more interested in boys? What girl that age wouldn't be?? What other sport do we demand so much time and dedication from our youth? Figure Skating, other than that? Not many. Football players don't practice as much, they are allowed to date and party and its perfectly fine.

Sorry but they are people, children first. Athletes second. I don't think it's right for anyone to lose sight of the fact that these are kids, and we sometimes expect WAY too much of them.

~Katy