MovieChat Forums > Make It or Break It (2009) Discussion > Coud the girls have been age eligible in...

Coud the girls have been age eligible in 2008 Olympics

posted 12 years ago by aimerzkd214
14 replies | jump to latest

This is a question that I have wondered about for awhile.

In the pilot Lauren is seen driving her car so she has to be 16. At this point it seems that it is summer/fall of 2009. Episode 3 is Lauren's birthday if she was at least sixteen in the pilot then she would be turning 17.

To be eligible for the Olympics a gymnast has to turn 16 in the Olympic year. I am not sure it that means 16 before the start of competition or if that means you can compete if you turn 16 anytime in 2008.

Anyways with that knowledge, in 2008 Lauren would have turned 16 late summer/early fall. In the real world nationals (which is really the first step in qualifying for the Olympics) is held at the end of the summer (unless it is an Olympic year then it is held in late May, early June) In the world of MIOBI gymnastics it seems to have been held in fall.

So in 2008 depending when her birthday actually was and if she would have had to be 16 by competition day she could have been eligible. It makes me wonder if Payson and Kaylie would have been age eligible too. I believe it was said Payson came in 2nd, Kaylie in like 8th and Lauren around 16th. So with those standing all the girls probably would have been invited to compete in trials. I know none of this really matters, but I find it interesting.

[–] magick_girl786 12 years ago

I think they have the thing like Nastia Liukin, Rebecca Bross and Katelyn Ohashi, where they are just a little bit too young. Nastia is born October 1989 and if she was born 9 months earlier she would have been 16 for trials and then would have been able to compete. Its similar with Rebecca and Katelyn.

Plus, I wouldn't use the timeline of MIOBI as a guide because Kaylie was the 2009 National Champion but then suddenly without any more Nationals happening, its 2011 Worlds? The timeline is all screwed up.

The way I see it, trying to make sense of this retarded timeline is that Kaylie was the 2011 National Champion and then they competed at 2011 Worlds and then went to 2012 Trials for the 2012 Olympics.

Plus, Wendy turns 16 that year in Season 3, and the girls kept on going on about how young she was so I'm assuming Wendy was born in 1996 and they are born in 1993 or 1994.

DCAC
CHLARK, NALEY, BRUCAS, JEYTON
Most Frustrated Naley Fan on the OTH Boards

[–] lovelula 12 years ago

the timeline is seriously screwed up and things aren't explained well.

on re-watching i thought maybe that payson, kaylie and lauren were all first year seniors. but obviously not as they mentioned payson ranking second and kaylie eighth at the previous nationals, and lauren most probably ranked first on beam... which meant payson and kaylie (and maybe lauren) would have most probably been on the national team already (for the previous year) in the lead up to nationals but this wasn't mentioned (although emily recognised payson from tv, so maybe they were but it wasnt mentioned on the show). and the fact that kelly parker was the reigning national champ in 2008 but not at the 2008 olympics seemed weird too. unless they meant the show to be happening in 2010 in season 1.

i figured the same thing magickgirl - kaylie was 2011 nationals champ (a la jordyn weiber) and then the girls made worlds, then went to trials for 2012 olympics.

___________________
booyah.

[–] magick_girl786 12 years ago

They also mentioned that Kelly was at the previous years Worlds so she's probably a year older than the other girls or something because there is no way that someone like Payson who is ranked second Nationally would not be invited to Worlds and the 2011 Worlds was the first time Payson had ever been to Worlds.

DCAC
CHLARK, NALEY, BRUCAS, JEYTON
Most Frustrated Naley Fan on the OTH Boards

[–] aimerzkd214 12 years ago

Yes I know they have screwed up the timeline. I'm just speculating here. I found out that you just have to be 16 by the end of the actual year (to qualify for 2012 you have to turn 16 by December 31 2012). So Lauren at least would have been eligible because she was turning 17 in 2009. I think it would have made more sense for the writers to have started them younger and have made them up and coming seniors and have made them stars as juniors. made them 14 in 2008. They could have made Emily and Kelly older. It would have made sense for Emily not have been competing for an Olympic spot in 2008 because she was not at the rock yet. As for Kelly it would have been interesting to have the Kelly and rock girls rivalry start.

[–] magick_girl786 12 years ago

I like your idea of having Emily being older. I always thought Kelly was a bit older than them because she had gone to Worlds the year previously.

Since the girls made such a big deal about Wendy being so "young", I see Wendy as sort of the Kyla Ross/Sarah Finnegan of the group, and the Rock girls are more like Aly Raisman's or Rebecca Bross's ages, so like 17 turning 18 before 2012 ends, just turned 18 (so born in 1994 but birthday is before Olympics), 18 turning 19 before 2012 ends or just turned 19 (so born in 1993 but birthday is before the Olympics).

DCAC
CHLARK, NALEY, BRUCAS, JEYTON
Most Frustrated Naley Fan on the OTH Boards

[–] coleburg83 12 years ago

If they were Chinese. They would have been.

Why China is allowed to participate in any international competitions is far beyond me. Not only do they engage in blatant state-sponsored cheating by using very young girls who obviously don't meet the requirements. And certainly not just in the last Olympics, that has always been the case. Their athletes are seized and raised in virtual prisons to train to win gold medals for the state.

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You did just fine, Clarence. Now go git yo'self some hot cornbread!

[–] lovelula 12 years ago

china's gymnasts were all of age this year and last year. they deserved team gold in beijing.

you can't condemn their entire gymnastics community based on past actions. people say the same thing about bela karolyi and there's always talk of corruption from martha and the US so it's not a perfect sport, it never will be.
___________________
booyah.

[–] magick_girl786 12 years ago

Their athletes are seized and raised in virtual prisons to train to win gold medals for the state.

Russia does that too. Its not like they are taken against their will. They want to win so they oblige. Its not nearly as bad as people are making it out to be.

And Jesus Christ, people need to get the fvck over this whole age controversy. It was 4 years ago and even then it was never actually completely proven. They deserved the Team Gold in 2008.

Plus what about all that talk about Bela and his methods? Yelling at Keri Strug that she could vault on a broken foot? Or the fact that so many of his gymnasts have come out and said that he basically enabled eating disorders? Gymnastics is not a perfect sport.

DCAC
CHLARK, NALEY, BRUCAS, JEYTON
Most Frustrated Naley Fan on the OTH Boards

[–] coleburg83 12 years ago

It is a huge deal. Every Olympics we have top female gymnasts that barely miss the age requirement. And it wasn't just at the last Olympics. China has been doing it for years and years.

Official Chinese transcripts from past competitions put He Kexin at age 14 in 2008 and the cowardly IOC will certainly never do anything about it, but people can just look at their competitors at (almost) every competition and know how arrogant they are in breaking the rules.

I don't blame the girls at all. But I think they should get rid of the 16-year old rule simply because it makes it so unfair for everyone else. I know they have good reasons for setting an age requirement, but it doesn't work when one nation just falsifies the required ID papers.

And Bela being a total prick has nothing to do with cheating.

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You did just fine, Clarence. Now go git yo'self some hot cornbread!

[–] magick_girl786 12 years ago

And Bela being a total prick has nothing to do with cheating.

Okay, yeah but that just goes to prove to you that no one in gymnastics is perfect.

I mean, just look at the Japanese MAG team. They argued about one of their routines and got them to change the score and apparently the Japanese coach brought money or something like that. Basically bribing them and then Ukraine got out of medalling.

And yes, the age thing is horrible and people like Nastia should have been allowed to compete in 2004, Rebecca in 2008 and now Katelyn in 2012 but that is in the past. I don't think the Chinese team did that this year.

The girls were two years too young to compete, correct? So how is that any different than Dominique Moceanu being only 14 and still being able to compete in the 1996 Olympics?

DCAC
CHLARK, NALEY, BRUCAS, JEYTON
Most Frustrated Naley Fan on the OTH Boards

[–] coleburg83 12 years ago

The age 16 rule started in 1997.

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You did just fine, Clarence. Now go git yo'self some hot cornbread!

[–] magick_girl786 12 years ago

Oh, I didn't know that. Thanks for clearing that up because I was always wondering lol.

They probably put that rule in place because of the intense pressure that the Olympics holds. Just like people were saying "Oh Kyla is a first year senior, this is her first international event as a senior, she's not going to be consistent" and whatnot but she ended up being a rock on beam and bars and now has an Olympic gold medal.

Just look at last times team compared to this time. You only had one first year senior, being Shawn Johnson and everyone else was either old enough to have possibly competed in 2004 (Chellsie and Alicia), almost made the age requirement for 2004 (Nastia) or had been senior gymnasts for at least 2 years (Sam and Bridget) but this year, you have girls who are either 16, had just turned 16, had just turned 17 or had just turned 18 or people like Kyla who hadn't even turned 16 yet. The team has gotten younger.

DCAC
CHLARK, NALEY, BRUCAS, JEYTON
Most Frustrated Naley Fan on the OTH Boards

[–] coleburg83 12 years ago

Officially, the rule was passed because of the danger of injuries. I think it's stupid, but that's what they said it was made to prevent. Regardless, it's already been proven that it doesn't level the playing field as some argued as another reason, but in fact has served as a great advantage to nations that are known for state-sponsored cheating, ie China.

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You did just fine, Clarence. Now go git yo'self some hot cornbread!

[–] nikkivisser 8 years ago

it's not a documentary.