While the Olympics mean a lot to every single athlete that competes and represents their country at them, it means more to gymnasts. Gymnasts usually only get one shot at the Olympics. There are a few exceptions, like Gabby Douglas and Aly Raisman. Gymnasts tend to peak between the ages 16 and 18, which are the two most common ages that gymnasts will be when they travel to the Olympics. Reaching the Olympic level in gymnastics is always the goal, but very few ever reach that level. Being able to say you are an Olympian is every young gymnast's dream, which is why the Olympics mean so much to gymnasts.
To compete in the Olympics for gymnastics, you must be at least 16 years old. When an elite gymnast reaches the age of 16 or will turn 16, that year she is considered a senior level gymnast. These are the gymnasts that get to go to the Olympics. The United States has the best gymnastics program in the world. The US has won every single team world championship or Olympic gold medal since 2011. The US has also won every single individual all around gold medal at the world championships since 2011 and has won the individual gold medal at the last three Olympics. Every girl that is a gymnast wants to be a part of that gold medal team; however, at the Olympics and World Championships, only five girls can represent Team USA.
Growing up as a gymnast, I always looked forward to being able to watch gymnastics competitions on television. These competitions were a rarity, so it was a big deal when they were on TV. When I was little, in the early to middle 2000s, I only remember watching the Olympics. The first Olympic Games I remember were the 2004 Olympics in Athens. I remember telling myself that I wanted to be just like Carly Patterson. Then came the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, and I wanted to be Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson. Well, that obviously did not happen. However, I always look forward to the Olympics. I look forward to them even more now that I am a retired gymnast because they bring back so many good memories. Gymnasts consider the Olympics their Super Bowl.
