Crying Chinese Gymnasts

Little Chinese Children's Gymnastics Training

This video is proof of the intensity of training that gymnasts must endure. In China, children are trained, almost from the womb, to be flexible and co-ordinated. Is this why the Chinese gymnasts were so underage at the 2008 Olympics? This video shows a view of gymnastics which can only be categorized as child abuse. Stretching children's still developing bodies beyond their limits is both painful and dangerous for little bodies. In America, kicking children would be considered child abuse yet in these Chinese videos it seems permissible. Although, "China lags behind developed countries in the prevention of child abuse...many non-governmental institutions are active in the prevention of child abuse" ( source). Although training for China looks like it is harsher than American training, because of our bias towards Americans and against other countries, it can be just as bad in many of the same and different ways.