Olympic Gymnasts Use Honey, Coke, Melted Gummy Bears and Other Hand Goop to Stay on the Bars [Olympics]
If you've ever wondered how the heck gymnasts manage to keep a grip on the parallel bars, know this: it ain't just chalk. Olympic gymnasts use any and all forms of hand goop, from honey to coke and beer and sugar to melted gummy bears and a special concoction created by a chemist and more. And the crazy thing is, it's completely legal. Yep, according to the International Gymnastics Federation's point code, there is no specific rules or restrictions regarding the use of sticky substances. Gymnasts could theoretically be marked down half a point by the judges for "marking the floor carpet" with chalk but that makes no mention of the use of hand goop. So without rules, the gymnasts go crazy. Each gymnast has their own method, like creating a honey, spit and chalk slurry or mixing honey and chalk with a spritz of saltwater. Some have even cooked up a beer and sugar mixture. What perhaps is most impressive though, is former US gymnast Trent Wells, who used gummy b...