With Paris Olympics Inching Closer, 31YO Athlete Challenges Age Norms In Gymnastics

Becky Downie accused GB Gymnastics of creating an “environment of fear” in 2021. The 2019 world silver medallist paid a heavy price for this revelation, as the organization subsequently dropped her from the Olympics squad. However, the whistleblower was not deterred and continued to voice her protests against the systemic issues plaguing her sport. One of the many issues gnawing at the heart is the ageist stance of the gymnastic world.

Gymnastics was long believed to be the playground of young athletes, with many gymnasts reaching their peak in the late twenties. However, with recent occurrences across the pond in the United States, this narrative has become problematic. Simone Biles, 26, still as nimble as a teenager, is going strong while others, such as Gabby Douglas,27, are on the comeback journey. With a few months left for Paris, Becky Downie and her team attempted to get the public’s opinion on their side with a powerful video.

Becky Downie’s powerful message for the 2024 Paris Olympics

The 31-year-old Olympian shot a promotional video to showcase her training for the upcoming challenge. She uploaded a small teaser of the video on her Instagram account captioned, “COMEBACK Coming later this week on YouTube”. The video caught her in a reflective mood. Downie went back almost 15 years to her first Olympic Games and commented on her journey in a succinct two-worded response. She said, “That’s wild”, and broke into a peal of laughter.

She continued to say, “So this would be my fifth Olympic quad” but the excitement was just as it was 15 years ago. Downie will turn 32 before she travels to Paris for the Olympics, but that should not count as a factor in her performance. She hopes to change the narrative that dictates age sixteen as the prime age for gymnasts. With her recent exploits at the European Championships, Becky Downie has turned a new leaf in her career.

Becky Downie’s gymnastic renaissance

When GB Gymnastics chose her for the European Championships in March, she called it a “step in the right direction”. Her relationship with the organization is slowly on the mend. It will get even stronger when GB Gymnastics officially adds her to the Olympic squad for 2024. She found hope in the selection earlier this year as the choice came in spite of an injury.

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Becky Downie suffered an Achilles tear in 2022 and stayed on the sidelines for over a year. Thus, when GB Gymnastics chose her for the European Championships, it emboldened her hope for a change.

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