Jennifer Sey on Good Morning America

10 comments ↓

#1 Kelli on 05.07.08 at 10:00 am

the video said that in 1996 olympic gymnasts averaged 4’4″. Doesn’t that seem a bit too low? Obviously they were short, but I doubt they were THAT short…

#2 coach Rick on 05.07.08 at 10:46 am

4′ 4″ is wrong.

Kelli is correct.

#3 TCO on 05.07.08 at 8:24 pm

Sey bugs me. If she didn’t want to do it, she should have bailed. Sick of this whole pity party fer the little wimmen. Go play football and have the coaches yelling at you. Or box.

#4 Kate on 05.07.08 at 9:19 pm

Sey said that gymnasts today are still smaller than they used to be. Comparing them with the gymnasts in the 70′s, aren’t they bigger? I mean, yes they are shorter, but I think that has more to do with the fact that being short makes gymnastics easier, and not with doing gymnastics makes you short. I think that if you compare the current gymnasts with those from the 70′s, the current gymnasts would be in a higher weight percentile (if I’m wrong, please correct me).

#5 jess on 05.07.08 at 9:49 pm

I’ve got one problem with it: 1996 was a low for height and weight averages (although not 4’4″, though 95 lbs. seems right or maybe high?). But 2006, ten years later, there is NO WAY that girls averaged that height (though maybe that weight). The average elite gymnast is not 5’3″ in 2008, but they are definitely taller (Shawn Johnson is pretty short and is 4’8″) and very muscular (even Nastia Liukin, who is pretty lean).

As for Sey, I assume that at least part of what Sey is saying is true, but that some of it is exaggerated and some of it is personal experience. Certainly the Parkettes have cleaned up their act since Sey was there, so there is probably some truth to what she is saying. But there’s definitely some level of exaggeration — she herself says that the subtitle was dreamed up by the publishers so that the book would sell better.

#6 TCO on 05.08.08 at 4:17 pm

I am sick of the gang bang on Parkettes. Is it true? Or is it just a scapegoat?

#7 coach Rick on 05.08.08 at 4:19 pm

I don’t know, TCO.

My guess is that where there’s smoke, there’s fire. But I have no personal involvement with the club or those coaches.

#8 Tuesday on 05.08.08 at 4:24 pm

Well, I have seen some things from Parkettes at meets that didn’t jive with me personally. Also, when a gym is known for letting their kids “chuck” skills at such a high level, how can that possibly be safe? Did Kristen Maloney ever look like she should have been throwing a Double Twisting Yurchenko?

#9 TCO on 05.08.08 at 4:34 pm

Rick:

There very well may be some fire. I would be leading the suspicikous inquest (like with Durante and the other abnormal builds on steroids). So…there very well may be fire. but there is also a prurient JOY in the trauma/drama. people LOVE making montages out of the perfect 10. At this point, I’ve seen Nicole Harris’s crying so often, I think she needed a slap or two…nowutimean?

#10 TCO on 05.08.08 at 4:35 pm

Oh…and Maloney looked like a frigging Olympian.

Oh…and if I had borderline talent and wanted to make the damn games, maybe I would chuck also! And she’s not a chucker anyhow…she’s hawt.

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