Anyone else notice that women's gymnastics is lots of times filled with ridiculous rules that don't make sense and you could do without them, and even be safer without them? Like in men's gymnastics lower levels the coaches can actually spot the boys during the competition. Also in men's gymnastics it's required that the coach be near the gymnast for high bar and rings, but in women's gymnastics the coach can't do that - they can approach the apparatus for skills but then they have to go away, they can't stay there. Crazy!! What's with that?! Also, there are so many controversies and manipulations in women's gymnastics - more politics than gymnastics. The blog

I agree too! The USA's women's gymnastics program is getting too manipulative and playing these psycho games like you say. USA's men's gymnastics program hasn't gotten that kind of press.

The men have to land perfect or they will get more deducted that on women floor.

The men can do the roll out of the routines, which a lot of them do.

[quote=punchfront]The blog

So much politics!! Too much politics!! There's a cute picture of Dominique from her cover on the Sports Illustrated for Kids on that Wikipedia page on her:

How come the USA men's gymnastics olympic training center is more high tech and a more advanced gym than the USA women's gymnastics olympic training center? Men's have video cameras taping you that you can watch after performing your skill at each event. Women's don't even have pits. Anyone know?

They are run by different people - men's is Olympic Training Center at Colorado Springs (includes other sports), women's is National Team Training Center at Karolyi's ranch. Maybe like WOGA which is known to not have a bouncy springy floor or the best equipment, they don't think it's important? Or they don't care? They don't want to spend the money? Everybody that has gone to the men's OTC that I've talked to have said lots of good things about it - they are very enthusiastically happy with it. Here's the att vdeo on Karolyi's training center: http://attblueroom.com/sports/teamusa/inc_usagbts_mediaplayer/player.php?id=3 (click on the Episode 4). They also say they like it, and they have camels, horses, lamas, swans, peacocks, and other animals on the ranch too! No cell phone reception there though, but they have wireless connection. They don't talk about the equipment though, more the atmosphere, coaches, teammates, etc.

Actually the men's and women's training camps have one thing in common - they are both like in the middle of mountains/nature, secluded. Here's some youtube video on the men's gymnastics olympic training center in Colorado Springs: colorado olympic training center [youtube]XGPfHXcHAuA[/youtube]

You would probably guess the popularity for women's gymnastics is more than men's gymnastics - women's gymnastics is televised more often and earlier to the actual competition than men's, like for the Visa Championships: [quote]NBC Sports is broadcasting action from the women