Olympic Overload- Evolution of the Uneven bars

Is anyone else as obsessed with the Olympic Gymnasts as I am? Gosh, I can remember being a little girl,  sitting for hours, wide-eyed & in amazement at what people could make their bodies do. Now, a couple of decades later, it seems we had no idea what we were actually capable of. I saw this video that chronicles the evolution of the uneven bars & just had to share it with you. Take 6 minutes and marvel at human potential...what we used to think it was & what it is now.

Kinda makes you wonder what we will be watching gymnasts do in 2048, doesn't it? Can you imagine if Gabrielle Douglas found a time machine & went back in time to hang out in a practice session with Nadia Comaneci? Surely, Nadia would tell Gabby she was out of her mind for suggesting such feats of gravity defiance!

There's something else about the evolution of the uneven bars that caught my eye...did you notice? The bars are a lot further apart. According to www.isport.com, "In the 1970s, the event began to change as companies started manufacturing the women’s uneven bars separately from the men’s parallel bars. The new uneven parallel bars were adjustable and used tension cables to stay rooted to the floor. The manufacturers also decreased the circumference of the bars, making it easier to grip. As a result of these changes, throughout the 1970s and 80s, the bars continued to get further apart and gymnasts started performing more and more complex release moves. The difficulty of the releases increased with each additional separation between the bars" Hmmmmm...you mean to tell me that women started doing more amazing things when they were given tools that took into account that they are actually different than men? Astonishing. Imagine what would happen to the feminine protection industry if there was a fresh perspective on what women go through at that time of the month & what they need to get through it with the least amount of pain & hassle. Wait a minute...that's already been done & AuntRuby.net was created to take care of today's woman!

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