LOS ANGELES — In a sport that prizes the fearlessness and flexibility that come with youth, elite female gymnasts often were considered washed up at an age when most athletes are launching their careers.
They'd tumble and pirouette and vault into the spotlight at the Olympics as energetic teenagers, winning fistfuls of medals before wear-and-tear injuries set in and they'd be overtaken by rivals who were more nimble and could do more difficult moves. Their time at the top often was brilliant but almost always was brief.
"When I was growing up, you peaked when you were 16," said rising UCLA junior Emma Malabuyo, a five-time U.S. national team member and alternate to the 2020 Tokyo Olympic team.
