Why do male gymnasts compete so much longer than females?

[sasquatch]

I remember when I was watching the olympics, they were saying Nastia will probably be to old to compete next time. But I've seen guys compete in their late thirtys.

 

[BlairBob]

Guys tend to not compete before 18. Girls tend to start competing before 18 ( as an Elite ) and tend to be done by then, getting ready to go to college.

They also have to fight off becoming a woman ( in the body ). Guys tend to benefit by getting that last growth spurt from 17-19.

Other priorities such as college, career, families. It's not like pregnancy does anything to us ( besides not sleep, stress, etc )

 

[sasquatch]

Thanks for the answer.

Do guys wait to compete untill they are 17-18 because they aren't strong enough for some of the moves until then? That would explane why the younger gymnasts look so much skinnier than the older ones.

 

[BlairBob]

Here in the U.S. guys compete in junior elite as early as 12. They do 8 skills per routine instead of 10.

No idea when they can compete as an elite, but I rarely see it before 17. In the US, many men don't really polish their routines and game till their college years.

I'm not sure how it goes down in other countries. Ask Gregor over on gymnasticbodies what they do in his country.

 

[Aussie_coach]

Girls train much longer hours at a much earlier age in order to peak in gymnastics at age 15-17. They often train 30-36 hours a week while their bodies are going through puberty which causes long term problems. By the time they reach adulthood they have worn their bodies out, they train like adults before they are evn teenagers.