Athletics, at a high level, is inevitably demanding. Someone, somewhere, is going to ridiculous lengths to make sure they win. So, if you hope to win, then you also have to go to ridiculous lengths.
Which is probably why shoving 14-year-olds into international competition is a weird idea.
If some young adult (22?) really, really wants a pro football career then maybe they’ll go do some crazy stuff to make it happen. But that’s on them. Children have a much harder time saying No. And many parents aren’t actually focused on the kid.
I oppose minors being in international competitions.
Bad for their bodies and their minds imo.
Family member competed at a different sport several levels below this. Even there it was sickening to see what was endured. Kind of like looking inside a cult. Immediate family member saw nothing but unicorns and goodness in the process. Offered to pay for the individuals education knowing it would lead to a reduce commitment and then defection from the cultish activity.
I never got the privilege to do so.
With the state of our education system, I don’t think a lot of parents realize how damaging the dieting and exercising demands that are made at the elite level of gymnastics are, both physically and psychologically. You have the team doctors and sports doctors and trainers saying everything is fine. If you don’t have the education to know that the demands are unhealthy, you may not realize you SHOULD be saying no.