Why do elite gymnasts usually start training as young children?

Answer: Mastery takes about a decade, best begun while flexible

Young bones are too bendy to break in falls — Children's bones bend more, but they still break, and gymnastics injuries in kids are common. Their growth plates are especially vulnerable, which is why coaches limit training loads for young athletes.

Competition rules require starting by age six — No rule forces an early start; the rules set a minimum age for senior competition, 16 at the Olympics, not a deadline for beginning. Early starts come from how long the skills take to build.

Mastery takes about a decade, best begun while flexible ✓ — Elite gymnastics skills take roughly ten years of practice, and flexibility and body awareness are easiest to develop in childhood. Starting early lets athletes peak in their late teens, when a small, light body also helps in the air.