I think Russia, Romania, a bunch of countries pick girls and boys from an early age to do gymnastics.

Isn’t that child labor?

OH well, better than spending the rest of your lives as a fatass nobody. hohoho

It’s not child labor if it’s the government that is taking the kids

Considering the best time to be a gymnast is 14-24, you kinda have to start that young. In other sports, it can take a lot longer to be pro, so I don’t see a problem here.

Yeah there’s nothing wrong with forcefully being taken away from your family at a young age.

I dunno, sometimes it seems like the families are very gung ho about pride and honour and glory and the family name as well, and are awfully ecstatic when their kids make the cut, you know? Children there seem to have the whole honour thing instilled in them at a very young age as well.

Not to take anything away from national pride, etc., but I am not comfortable with a three-year-old being taken away from her parents. US athletes often leave their parents to train, but by their choice and at much older ages.

Don’t the parents usually give consent? They mainly do it not only for pride but for a better life.

I was getting the just that the parents consented to their child being taken away. Because later one of the Chinese girls said she wanted to come home, but the parents said no, to stay there. They did want a better life for her. They seem to be taking great care of the athletes as well.

I’m happy China is winning so many medals as well. It was a joy watching them in gymnastics.

This is an opportunity for them to become national heroes. Plus they make money for their family. Some girls have to marry a foreigner or sell their bodies. This is definitely a better alternative.

Too bad they lost in individual.

It seems like they have a choice to come home but parents make them stay.

Even if they did lose, they still placed.

The team one is more important imo.