Gymnast Social Media Megathread

[Bob]

I heard that too - apparently it is on their podcast talking about it.

 

[rlayt]

Kennedy Hambrick is out.

 

[RedBirdie]

Suni Lee breaks this silence on why she’s been out. She has been dealing with kidney issues.

 

[irichluck21]

She was also in a really nasty car accident approx. 3 weeks ago.

Also, good on the Auburn medical team for not clearing her and doing the right thing for her health.

 

[JaJa]

Suni has had so much to deal with.

 

[Angelika]

Flicking through gymnast’s Insta’s (as you do after a heavy week of Euros and NCAAs) and came across this
Nastia’s handstands

I think she needs help - she looks really gaunt. Yes, I know her mother was a rhythmic gymnast so Nastia does have the ‘thin’ gene but her legs are worryingly thin. This scrawniness is not a good look on a woman of her age.

This is up there with the modelling ‘heroin chic’ look of the 90s

 

[MaryClare]

I see several former Russian RGs on a regular basis. No one is naturally that thin in their 30s. Even the ones who still work out and haven’t had children.

At no point during her gymnastics career did I think that Nastia might be suffering with an eating disorder, but I absolutely would do now.

 

[RedBirdie]

Really? Everyone knew she had, at the very least, highly disordered eating as an elite.

Her physical appearance has been quite worrisome for several years now. That is not the look of a healthy woman.

 

[MaryClare]

Really?

Yeah. I’d say that a large number of elite sports people have disordered eating during their competitive careers. But they know it’s disordered, which makes it quite different from an eating disorder. It’s just part of the sacrifices they make to get to the top and when they finish their career, they revert to a normal healthy lifestyle. It’s very much controlled and they would never adopt eating habits that jeopardise training or performance. Often it’s under the direction of sports nutritionalists.

That said, I still can’t eat in front of my old coach.

 

[rlayt]

There’s almost a taboo around even talking about it! Some people say it’s body shaming and some people with disorders are in denial and protest to the heavens that they are naturally THAT thin. It’s not a healthy look though.

 

[Laura722]

Nastia has been really thin for several years now, but it’s gotten bad lately. She’s never been this thin despite what people in the comments say. She looks so sick and I’m concerned for her. I developed Anorexia when I was 19 and still have issues. Eating disorders are not quite as forgiving when you get into your 30’s.

 

[rlayt]

Who is Ben, the new guy?

 

[Doug1233]

Flicking through gymnast’s Insta’s (as you do after a heavy week of Euros and NCAAs) and came across this
Nastia’s handstands

Interestingly, she has disabled comments on this post…

In case the link isn’t working:

Browsing through her IG, she seems to be removing the ability to comment only on posts which show her looking thin. This one is another notable post:

I hope she can get the help she needs.

Is she still in LA? That city is toxic asf.

 

[RedBirdie]

She’s so weak she can’t even hold a handstand anymore. My god.

 

[Deleted member 408]

I hope Nastia has support in real life. It’s sad to see this (as someone in ongoing, shaky recovery from anorexia, not gymnastics related at all for me).

I don’t think it’s at all easy to draw a clear line between athletes with disordered eating and at what point a clinical eating disorder begins. Often that’s a very grey area, and what is defined as a clinical eating disorder has changed over time anyway.

 

[ruby]

I personally think Nastia felt awful during the years she was “heavier” and is probably scared to ever go back to her 2009-2013 body. Being very thin is probably a big part of her personality. It was probably talked about a lot when she was a kid and was honestly the #1 thing that distinguished her from her rivals over the years (Chellsie! Shawn!). Nastia, the skinny elegant protege…

She has not looked healthy in years but right now she looks horribly ill. Unless she has an illness, this is just not normal at all. I also hope she will address it and not just respond with “ugh, body shaming, I eat a lot”.

 

[Sparklesmom]

It is sad to see her right now. I remember seeing her IRL in 21 and it was shocking to see how very very thin she was in person. It is much more obvious than on camera. I can’t imagine what she looks like in person now. I hope she is seeking help and just isn’t wanting to publicize it at the moment.

 

[JoseM]

Nastia is much too skinny right now. I hope she will gain some weight soon. She is underweight, and that is not good.

Also, if Nastia is going thru stress or problems, I truly and prayfully hope she will find help and support. I support her.

I truly hope all will be well for Nastia. I wish her well. My best wishes for her.

José M.

 

[Milkshakedonut]

I really hope she’s getting the help she needs. It irritates me to all heck when people say she’s just always naturally been that skinny/it’s her genes. All you have to do is google her name and 2009-2012 and see that is far from the case.

 

[Sasha]

The difference between 10 years ago and now is really unsettling. This is going to sound snarky, but I don’t mean it to be - she’s looking more like Barbie these days than like her former self. I don’t think anyone is built like that naturally.