In the women’s gymnastics competition at the Paris Olympics, two athletes stood out: Simone Biles, often called the greatest gymnast ever, and Rebeca Andrade, a top challenger from Brazil. Their performances were nothing short of captivating.
During the all-around competition, Biles stumbled, giving Andrade a chance to take the lead. However, Biles quickly recovered to win the gold medal. In the vault final, Biles’s difficulty level secured her the top spot again. In the floor exercise finale, Andrade performed with controlled landings, earning her the title of Olympic champion. Each event was a thrilling contest between two top athletes.
Biles, at 27, and Andrade, at 25, have shown that older athletes can excel in gymnastics, breaking the stereotype that this sport is only for teenagers. According to this source, Chellsie Memmel, a technical lead on the U.S. high performance staff, believes that with smart training, gymnasts can continue to improve and peak well beyond their teenage years.
The average age of women’s gymnastics medalists at the Paris Games was 22.7, the highest in 60 years. This continues a trend of older gymnasts winning Olympic medals. Historically, gymnasts like Romania’s Nadia Comaneci, who was 14 when she scored a perfect 10 in 1976, set the precedent for younger athletes. However, the sport has evolved, and the age of top gymnasts has been rising.
By the 1992 Olympics, teenagers dominated the sport, with U.S. gymnast Shannon Miller winning five medals at the age of 15. To combat the trend of increasingly younger competitors, officials raised the minimum age for Olympic gymnasts to 16 in 1997. This change, along with better training methods, has led to older athletes staying competitive longer.
In Paris, Andrade and Biles, both experienced and having overcome significant challenges, demonstrated exceptional skill and resilience. Biles, who returned after a mental block in Tokyo, and Andrade, who had three major knee injuries, showcased the peak of their abilities. Biles, at 27, was performing better than ever, outshining her 19-year-old self from the 2016 Olympics.
Biles even apologized to Aly Raisman, a two-time Olympian at age 22, for calling her a “grandma” back then. Now, Biles jokes about it being past her bedtime and hasn’t ruled out competing in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, when she will be 31.
Jordan Chiles, a 23-year-old gymnast training with Biles, highlighted how Biles has changed perceptions about the peak age for gymnasts. She remarked that Biles is a perfect example of how gymnasts can continue to excel beyond their teenage years.
The U.S. team in Paris included Biles, Chiles, Jade Carey (24), and Sunisa Lee (21), all of whom competed in Tokyo. This team, featuring two former Olympic all-around champions for the first time, also included a newcomer, 16-year-old Hezly Rivera.
According to Memmel, these older athletes have shown continuous improvement and send a message to younger gymnasts that it’s okay to miss an Olympic cycle, as there will be more opportunities in the future.
Young gymnasts like Dulcy Caylor, who is 16, are already looking forward to the 2028 Olympics. Caylor believes she has more potential to develop and achieve her Olympic dream when she is older.
Teenagers still had impressive moments in Paris, with 17-year-olds like Algeria’s Kaylia Nemour and China’s Qiu Qiyuan winning medals. However, most individual medalists were older.
Smarter training methods and the opportunity to compete in college have extended gymnasts’ careers. The open-ended scoring system introduced in 2006 also favors powerful gymnasts with advanced skills, allowing them to accumulate more points.
Also Read:
- Understanding the Rigors and Rules of Olympic Race Walking: Insights from Paris 2024
- Kobe Bryant’s Post-Game Ritual: Waiting for Michael Jordan Left Him Behind the Lakers Team Bus
Memmel speculates that the previous belief about gymnasts peaking in their teens might have been wrong, or the sport has evolved. Regardless, the current and future landscape of gymnastics features older athletes at their peak. The final podium in Paris, with gymnasts aged 23, 25, and 27, including stars like Biles and Andrade, exemplifies this shift.
