Our grandma used to say, "old age and treachery will always defeat youth and skill." But the thing about adages is that they're not always true.
Age is a major factor in the Games, with youth offering a fleeting moment of flawlessness and advantages that, once lost, are gone forever. Other times, "older and wiser" benefits the athletes, because ego, strategy, and technique have been given time to mature and be honed to perfection.
So, when the Olympics come around every four years and pit the newbies against the veterans, it's always fun to guess who will win the gold: youth, or wisdom.
Questions About Strength and Skill
- In which sports would it be more of an advantage to have strength versus skill? What about skill versus strength? Can you win gold with only one or the other?
- Strength isn't always about the size of your biceps. What are the different types of strength our Olympic athletes exhibited?
- Did any of the athletes we featured ever struggle with a particular skill? What was it, and why was it so hard for them?