If you Google, you’ll find any number of sources saying that intensive training in Women’s Artistic Gymnastics stunts and / or alters growth and development.
FIG called a colloquium of experts February 2011 to discuss the issue.
Results were published June 2013.
Sports Medicine – Role of Intensive Training in the Growth and Maturation of Artistic Gymnasts:
1. Adult height or near adult height of female and male artistic gymnasts is not compromised by intensive gymnastics training.
2. Gymnastics training does not appear to attenuate growth of upper (sitting height) or lower (legs) body segment lengths.
3. Gymnastics training does not appear to attenuate pubertal growth and maturation, neither rate of growth nor the timing and tempo of the growth spurt.
4. Available data are inadequate to address the issue of intensive gymnastics training and alterations within the endocrine system.
You can read the entire paper here. (PDF)
The long and the short of it …
Gymnastics does not make you short. Basketball does not make you tall.
Gymnastics Coaching.com 