Despite its glowing popularity, the sport of gymnastics has a sinister history.
One of those gymnasts was Dominique Moceanu, who competed in the 1996 Olympic Games.
“That does not create success for athletes.”
In recent years, the gymnastics community has taken extra steps to improve safety and transparency within the sport.
Today, many gymnasts, including Simone Biles, are optimistic about the future.
So I definitely think it’s evolved."
If competitors follow these strict guidelines, they’re sure to shine like Olympic gold on competition day.
To that end, many gymnasts follow a tightly controlled diet featuring rich proteins and nutrient-dense foods.
Some of her go-to dishes include grilled chicken, fish, and protein shakes.
“I do not track anything,” the champion toldWomen’s Healthin 2020.
When she wants to indulge, Biles reaches for hearty treats like fettuccine alfredo and s’mores cookies.
Usually, moves end up on the FIG’s blacklist when they’re considered too dangerous to perform.
The stunt involves standing on the tallest uneven bar, launching into a backflip, and re-catching the bar.
Korbut pulled the move off flawlessly in 1972, but the Korbut flip was later banned by the FIG.
For some competitors, the benefits of doing a perilous move are well worth the risk.
“To achieve something in life, you have to take risks,” Karmakar explained to theBBC.
“The Produnova is the most difficult vault in female gymnastics.
Only five women in the world have ever landed it.
And I am one of them.”
Gymnasts also receive an execution score (or E score) to assess how well they perform each move.
Still, when it comes to scoring, judges don’t always make the right calls.
Classics in 2021,Simone Biles made jaws drop when she landed a movecalled the Yurchenko.
Though she was the first woman ever to complete the vault move, she received a lackluster difficulty score.
The panel blamed their decision on the fact that the Yurchenko is an excessively dangerous skill.
However, some critics including Biles herself felt as though the gymnast was being graded on a curve.
“They’re both too low and they even know it,” Biles toldThe New York Timesin 2021.
“But they don’t want the field to be too far apart.”
That’s because USA Gymnastics has strict rules when it comes to overall presentation.
According to theUSA Women’s Gymnastics Handbook, a gymnast must be “well groomed in her appearance.”
Competitors are also banned from wearing any jewelry except small stud earrings.
As far as grooming goes, the handbook states that hair should be pulled back off of the face.
Gymnasts are allowed to wear nail polish, as gymnastSuni Lee demonstrated with her Olympics-inspired acrylicsin 2021.
However, manicures must be pre-approved by the athlete’s coach.
According toformer Olympic gymnast Nastia Liukin, U.S. coaches typically prefer subtle colors.
Despite the strict grooming policies, Olympic gymnasts don’t have to submit to a boring beauty routine.
“You are allowed to have lipstick on,” Liukin confirmed.
“In the last two Olympics, they’ve really stepped it up.
I’ve seen a red leotard with a bright red lip.”
That said, there are a few behaviors that gymnasts are strictly banned from partaking in.
For example, no food or drinks are allowed in the competition area with the exception of bottled water.
Additionally, gymnasts are forbidden from wearing in-ear headphones or talking on the phone while competing.
When you’re participating in the Olympics, good sportsmanship is a must.
Therefore, gymnasts aren’t allowed to question or criticize their score.
Numerous athletes and critics have slammed the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for this seemingly contradictory rule.
Retired gymnast Maggie Nichols is one of several gymnasts who have spoken out about these issues.
In her memoir, “Unstoppable!”
“That’s when things took a turn,” the gymnast wrote.
“Food became a struggle for me.
Now my coach was weighing me instead of me just doing it privately at home.”
As such, Olympic gymnasts should never leave their underwear visible.
Athletes who break these sartorial guidelines can end up losing 0.20 points.
Over the years, some countries have amended their policies around undergarments.
“Females in sport have always battled with societal norms every day,” rhythmic gymnast Aimee Didierjean toldNewsroom.
First things first, the music for the routine has to be instrumental.
Now, that’s not to say popular songs aren’t allowed.
And no, she didn’t miss the points, either.
for qualify for the Olympics, gymnasts need to master an array of high-level skills.
And when it comes to their Olympic routines, each movement has to be perfectly executed.
Every second in the gym counts.
So, just how many seconds in the gym are required of an Olympic gymnast?
It varies from athlete to athlete, but the short answer is: a lot.
In 2021, Simone Biles dished toGlamourthat she spent between 32 and 34 hours a week in the gym.
In early 2024, Suni Lee toldOlympics.comthat she’d devoted somewhere around 56 hours of her week to training.
Thus, Olympic gymnasts should never cut corners on their gym routine.
What’s more, making time to let the body and mind recover from the training is also crucial.
Yes, that means picking a wedgie is against the rules of Olympic gymnastics.
Liukin explained that competitors should wait until they’re on the sidelines before they deal with any wandering fabric.
