Ethical and bioethical implications of contemporary women gymnastics

Abstract

Author in this paper refers to ethical and bioethical issues and implications characteristic within female elite gymnastics. Female gymnastics is not the only sport, whose ethics can be called into question, but it is specifi c, because the female elite gymnasts are mostly under aged girls, and they are faced with both, demanding sport and pressure from parents and coaches. Contemporary athletes are often called modern gladiators. Acute injuries, chronic diseases and various psychosomatic disorders are challenges that female gymnasts are faced with regularly. Fundamental question is how did gymnastics, whose main goal was improve-ment of human organism condition, became a sport whose hazards exceed its benefi ts, at least at elite level of this sport. Author presents these hazards, associating them with main ethical theories and principles, bringing to the question the responsibility of parents and coaches, and potential lack of ethics within elite gymnastics.