anyone here compete optionals or elite without grips? seems like all the gymnasts at the high levels in the usa use grips for bars.

most gymnsts in u.s. use grips, but there are some gyms here in the u.s. that actually have the gymnasts not use them. none of the ones on t.v. yet... :-) grips are great for the grip it gives on the bar.

grips are great! all the high-level gymnasts at my club wear grips. everyone actually starts wearing the dowel grips from like level 4.

maybe the coaches who tell their gymnasts not to use grips even though they have access to them never have done bars with grips - grips are really great!

but some elite from romania like nicoleta daniela sofronie who finiched second on floor and was a great uneven bars worker,she didnt use grips for the Olympics,and some other competitions....Then i saw some pictures at a romanian gymnastics fan page,where her hand was injured,with blood and pus when she took off the bandages that she had on her hands.

yuck, popped and probably ripped rips. do you have the pictures?

i searched on the romanian gymnastics web page and it doesnt appear anymore because it was an old news...

i have a video where you can see danielas hands at this link: see my profile at you tube post stelafan and search the video called "sad numbers".

Thanks for the link. Looks like she ripped a rip she probably already had more. Grips can help for ripping and also the grip you get on the bar.

she didnt use the common grips,she used some that were pretty thin,like she had nothing in her hands,and sometimes she didnt use anything.On the olympic games for example,she sisnt use none type of grips.