...Are Chinese gymnasts who were rumored to be underage and thus ineligible to compete in the Olympics. They did, and won - Gold.
What is interesting, at least for me anyway, is that being underage is an advantage.
And the two main reasons for this? Fear and flexibility, or, to be more acurate, more of the latter and less of the former.
I went skating this weekend and i so wished I was a Chinese gymnast!
This was my first time on ice, I felt like whiskey, mature, cold.
I could hardly walk in the skates and i wasn't on the ice yet!
I went out and I was plagued, barraged with thoughts that obviously didn't go through the minds of alleged 'underage' gymnasts.
I was scared.
What if I fell, and broke my leg, I didn't have insurance, how would I get to the hospital, could I afford treatment, what if i split my head, and bled to death, how would they fly my body home, who would pay for it, my mum would NOT be happy!!!
*'Psychologically, younger gymnasts may be more fearless, and have less visceral appreciation for the potential for injury. They are therefore more likely to perform more dangerous, and more highly scored, routines with confidence and steadiness.'
My body also felt different compared to,say......an alleged underage Chinese gymnast.
I/it was tense and rigid. My body hardened, expecting a bump, a fall, death!
*'Physically, younger gymnasts, particularly those who have not yet gone through puberty, tend to be lighter, smaller, more pliable and flexible, which aids them in performing more complex skills and gives them a better strength-to-weight ratio.'
People were watching, they were all looking at me, they new I couldnt skate, they were waiting for me to fall, they were wizzing past me, in the hope that they would scare me and I would fall....Well not really, and as soon as i realized that I let go of the side of the rink.
He who dares, wins.
I had loads of fun after that, perhaps as much fun as an alleged underage chinese gymnast winning gold.
Then it happened, I fell, flat on my back.
Nothing broke, bruised or bled.
This single moment of loss of control, was in fact the best part of the night.
It didn't even hurt. Then i remembered a statement I had heard before...
'It may hurt, but it won't hurt anything'
I'm old enough to be Chinese gymnast but would prefer it if I was allegedly underage...Its the only way to win gold.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment