Chalked Up: Inside Elite Gymnastics' Merciless Coaching, Overzealous Parents, Eating Disorders, and Elusive Olympic Dreams

[IratePanda]

The story about Traci Hinkle is so scary.

The anecdote about Bill Cosby is cringe-inducing. Of course, we didn't know then what we know now.

 

[Indy]

• • Parents had gotten to know the other parents as well. One parent asked how he could prevent his daughter from getting her period, to which Dr. Sey responded, "Get her pregnant!"

Well that's freaking creepy on multiple levels

 

[KristyJ]

Yeahhhh I never understood how that one was seen as humorous

 

[QuietColours]

Sey keeps describing herself as poised, graceful, mature, with strengths in her flexibility. I've been watching her routines, and those aren't the words I would use. They aren't especially fluid or graceful, and her flexibility is perfectly fine but nothing remarkable and her toe point is lazy. Was she considered especially graceful at the time, or is she just trying to make herself feel better about being pretty mid?

 

[IratePanda]

international Gymnast once described her as "breatakingly graceful," but I never saw it. Kathy Johnson was breathtakingly graceful. Sey was a galumph.

 

[Kittentoes]

They did use her for compulsory demonstrations for one broadcast. I'm trying to remember which it was.

 

[Matilda23]

What competition was Jen Sey looking her best? 86 Nationals?

 

[flappergirl]

Sey keeps describing herself as poised, graceful, mature, with strengths in her flexibility. I've been watching her routines, and those aren't the words I would use. They aren't especially fluid or graceful, and her flexibility is perfectly fine but nothing remarkable and her toe point is lazy. Was she considered especially graceful at the time, or is she just trying to make herself feel better about being pretty mid?

Admittedly I was just a new fan watching on tv with no Internet to speak of, but I thought her gymnastics was way below par compared to the Soviets, obviously, but also Missy Marlowe and other good Americans

 

[KristyJ]

I have a similar impression, that she's not as polished as she seems to say she was. She can have moments of grace, and her compulsory floor has several nice sections, but she doesn't extend through her ankles like I'd expect a dancer to, she has a weird hopping technique on a lot of her turns, and it's just not quite all the way there.