Whereas engaged on a 4-part collection highlighting why trendy gymnasts now skew older, I compiled information breaking down the age distribution of medal winners at every Olympics. The intent was to find out how 1st-year seniors and 2nd-year seniors fared in every Olympic quad in comparison with the returning veterans from the earlier Olympics. Ultimately, it seemed like an fascinating idea value spinning off into its personal separate undertaking.
One factor that must be addressed, the idea of a “1st-year senior” is tough to outline as a result of the age standards and World Championships format has diversified over time. In some Olympic cycles the age minimal could possibly be bypassed in a pre-Olympic 12 months, however not others. In some Olympic cycles the World Championships had been held yearly, however not others. How do you outline a “1st-year senior” who turned senior eligible in a 12 months the place there was no World Championships comparable to 1998?
I outlined a “1st-year senior” by taking the youngest start 12 months that a minimum of two gymnasts shared in every Olympic Video games and making that particular 12 months the “first 12 months” definition for your complete quad. This was executed to get round age falsification scandals, information entry errors that exist within the IOC database, the affect of Covid-19 on the 2004/2005 era, the previous guidelines permitting juniors to compete in a pre-Olympic 12 months, Olympic quads with hole years within the World Championships schedule, situations of a lone gymnast being granted particular permission to compete as a senior, and the pre-Nadia period the place no age minimums existed in any respect.
I felt this was the easiest way to create a metric that was cohesive with all eras from the Nineteen Sixties to the present Olympic quad. Different disclaimers that should be addressed, Andreea Raducan is counted as an Olympic All-Round medalist and my information options 4 All-Round medal winners for the 2000 Olympics. Age falsification scandals are nullified as a result of I created this information to measure expertise versus precise age. Gina Gogean for instance is counted underneath her falsified start 12 months in 1996 as a result of it felt bizarre to disregard her standing as a 2x Olympian.
Counting falsified ages had solely a minor affect from 1992-present. Nevertheless, there was far too huge of an affect to disregard it in 1988. Daniela Silivas gained six medals whereas competing underneath a 2-year age falsification and that had an enormous affect on the information. So, I produced two totally different variations of 1988. One with Daniela’s precise start 12 months and one which was in step with all the opposite graphics the place age falsification scandals are ignored.
I ended at 1988 as a result of I haven’t but discovered how I need to proceed with the 1984 boycott. Sooner or later I’ll develop this undertaking so as to add information from earlier Olympic quads. I additionally counted solely particular person medals gained on the Olympics in ladies’s inventive gymnastics.
