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Anonymous
>The idea that these gymnasts are at their peak in their teen years reflects trends as whimsical as those dictating hemlines. In the past, top Olympic female gymnasts were in their 20s, occasionally even their 30s, but younger gymnasts came into vogue in 1972, when Olga Korbut of the Soviet Union won three gold medals and a silver medal at age 16.
>The trend continued when 14-year-old Nadia Comaneci of Romania won a gold medal in 1976.
>Coaches, judges and television audiences now favor pixielike gymnasts. "The routines have changed to accommodate them," said Dr. Ian R. Tofler, another author of the report who is director of child psychiatry at Children's Hospital in New Orleans and secretary of the International Society for Sports Psychiatry. "The Yurchenko vault requires gymnasts to be lightweight and agile, but it's the most dangerous event."
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