What Is the Advantage of a Gymnast Being Short in Stature?

Girls of all heights train in gymnastics recreationally, but those who progress to the elite and collegiate levels tend to have smaller than average statures, often standing below 5 feet tall. While height alone can't determine whether an athlete will bring home a medal, shorter gymnasts do have several natural advantages over their taller peers.

  1. Strength and Power

    • Shorter gymnasts tend to have a greater strength-to-mass ratio than taller athletes. This gives them a great advantage when it comes to many skills in gymnastics, especially vaults and tumbling passes, which require powerful running starts to gain momentum and height. Athletes with naturally shorter, more compact body types also tend to build muscle more easily than those with lankier bodies, allowing them to develop strength more quickly and easily.

    Better Balance

    • Gymnasts need excellent balance and stability to excel. Along with tumbling, leaping and spinning on a narrow beam, they must be able to land difficult vaults and bar routines without falling or stumbling. According to the laws of physics, the lower an object's center of gravity, the greater its stability. Short gymnasts take advantage of this lower center of gravity to excel on apparatuses like the balance beam.

    Weight

    • Short gymnasts can maintain a lower body weight more safely than those with larger frames. Gymnasts need high proportions of muscle mass to perform elite-level skills; however, keeping body weight as low as possible while still maintaining health and strength enables these athletes to fly through the air more easily. Heavier gymnasts may find supporting themselves on the uneven bars or gaining enough height to complete an extra rotation more difficult.

    Exceptions

    • Elite gymnasts in the 1970s and 1980s such as Mary Lou Retton typically stood shorter than 5 feet tall. In the 21st century, however, coaches and trainers learned to help taller gymnasts adapt to overcome their height disadvantage. Many competitors at the 2012 Olympics were taller than normal for gymnasts, including McKayla Maroney, who won the silver medal for vault at the height of 5 feet 4 inches.