In 1970, the FIG Women’s Technical Committee established fourteen as the minimum age for international women’s competition. The rule, however, was based on the gymnast’s age during the calendar year rather than her age on the day of competition. A gymnast could therefore compete while still thirteen, provided that she turned fourteen before the end of the year. Nadia Comăneci offered the most prominent example: when she won the 1975 European Championships in Skien, she was only thirteen years old, but since she would turn fourteen later that year, she was eligible under FIG regulations.
By 1977, that distinction appears to have created some confusion—or perhaps encouraged federations to test how closely the rule would be enforced. Ahead of the European Championships in Prague, France, Yugoslavia, and Poland submitted entries that included gymnasts born in 1964, even though only those born in 1963 or earlier were eligible. Whether the federations misunderstood the precedent set by Comăneci’s participation or simply hoped that the birth years would escape scrutiny is unclear. They did not. The underage gymnasts were identified during the review of the entries, removed from the competition, and excluded from the draw.
Here’s how Ellen Berger, chair of the FIG Women’s Technical Committee, addressed the issue after the draw.
