In high school I competed in gymnastics, spending countless early-morning and after-school hours practicing and practicing and practicing. I never won anything but I loved everything about it. More importantly, I learned vast amounts about muscles and agility and the wondrous sensation of being supremely fit. I also learned about dedication. It gave me a different vantage point for watching other-worldly skills at the international level, where already unbelievable human achievements still get better and better.

A medal at the Olympics is the pinnacle of achievement. In 1976, at the age of 21, I watched 14-year-old Nadia Comaneci of Romania, with her tiny 4’11”, 83 lb frame, score several perfect “10”s in Montreal. I have since learned that she continued as a celebrity in her own country for years – but was never allowed to travel internationally (though others close to her could). There have also been written rumblings about poor treatment as a young athlete. Nadia defected in 1989 and made it to the USA where she has happily lived ever since.

Enter the Beijing 2022 Olympics… and women’s figure skating. The brightest star of the Russian team has been 15-year-old Kamila Valieva. After being part of a team gold medal, and with her own personal gold seemingly within easy reach, she received the report that she had tested positive for a banned substance in a prior but recent competition. With her Olympic status in limbo, she was still allowed to continue. She vaulted into first position with an amazing performance in the short program but buckled under the pressure in her disastrous long program – and was knocked out of medal contention altogether. She was crushed.

Since the time of Nadia, although not particularly attributed to her, a lot has been exposed about some harsh training practices in an effort to retain those small, thin, lithe bodies – efforts using such things as starvation and ill treatment. Is this cheating? I guess not. But it sure as heck isn’t right.

Records show that Russian female skating champions are regularly the youngest on a very young team (Kamila’s teammates who won gold and silver, are both 17), and most team members retire before the next Olympics rolls around. The reason? Stress, yes, but also the wear and tear on the body, especially from the jumps, and specifically the quad (4-revolution) jump. It is now considered critical to securing a win – a skater’s grace and feet-on-the-ice skills cannot overcome its technical points – but it is extremely difficult to execute by the majority of adult women. Younger, lighter, thinner girls however have consistent success, at least over the short term. Might drugs then give them a further edge?

Over 50 years, we’ve learned an awful lot about the mechanics and chemical intricacies of body motion. We’ve made incredible gains in exercise and training regimens. Our knowledge of dietary management is vast, as is our understanding of clothing, footwear, and gear. All have resulted in ever-increasing physical accomplishments.

Over 50 years, we’ve also gotten better at cheating, using new approaches that are harder to detect. Stress for all competitors must be intense, but youngsters can be made that much more malleable by a different kind of pressure from those they trust, respect, or fear. Are they even aware of it?

Is this all a big change in my lifetime? The increase in sports knowledge, of course. The pressure, absolutely. The advances in cheating, you bet.

Whatever the reason, I often find myself wondering what goes on in the minds of these young women – these girls – who are gifted with innate skills and a passion for what they do, but who are placed in impossible situations from a very young age. Sadly, I’m not sure it will ever change.