Most Chinese female gymnasts grow taller 10-15cm after retiring. Simone Biles now 28 and still 1m42, why?

[Iminhanoi]

According to Sohu, He Kexin (Uneven Bars legend) has grown taller 12cm since her retirement. Her height now approximately 1m6.

Li Shanshan (balance beam specialist of the gold medal-winning Chinese women’s gymnastics team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics) now nearly as tall as Xiang Yanmei (Chinese weightlifter who won gold medal at 2016 Olympic Rio in Women's 69 kg category).

Xiang Yanmei’s height is 1m63, so Li ShanShan’s height now probably roughly 1m6.

In 2017, Li Shanshan and He Kexin are nearly as tall as Zou Kai. Zou Kai height in 2008 is 1m58, he may grow several cm later

Yang Yilin (key member of gold medal-winning team) now is a teacher in Sun Yat-Sen University. She look tall now, her height now probably roughly 1m63-1m65

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

Some gymnasts stay short after retiring. Shang Chungsong doesn't appear to have grown much. Hilary Mauro didn't. In some cases, that's just their adult height for whatever reason.

It's also a question of the age gymnasts retire at. Simone has competed well into adulthood. Any growth spurt she was going to have would've happened by now. The Chinese gymnasts you mention usually retire as teenagers, and most of them were competing in an era when it was common for Chinese gymnasts to be a year or two younger than claimed as well. So 18 year old He Kexin was always more likely to still have some growth left in her than 27 year old Simone Biles.

Simone has also alluded to not being properly nourished as a small child before being adopted. That sort of thing can have a lifelong impact. Same with Shang Chungsong.