Today, the International Gymnastics Federation just announced a ruling that is going to change the face of gymnastics in the long run. Starting in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the Olympics gymnastics team event will be cut down to four members, with three of the scores counting. According to Steve Butcher who is a highly renowned coach, trainer, and is a member of the Olympic Men’s Program Committee, that six gymnasts can qualify in 2020, but two of them would be for individual events rather than the team competition. This was the official statement from his Facebook page, “Okay everyone, the team format will be four gymnasts, four compete on each apparatus, and three scores count. The best countries will be able to qualify up to two individual gymnasts also through World Cups, Challenge Cups, and Continental Championships. There are many other formulas for AA gymnasts to qualify outside of the teams. The final details are still to be worked out, but the format is now set. I am one of the few that did not support this major change.”

In 1996 in Atlanta, seven gymnasts were allowed to qualify for the team competition, six from 2000 in Sydney to 2008 in Beijing, and five gymnasts in London. As a result of this, more countries are able to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics. With this rule changing, we’re not going to see the like of a Magnificent Seven like in Atlanta or a Fierce Five in London.

Butcher wasn’t the only to one to be disappointed with the news. US women’s national team coordinator Martha Karolyi said this rule change was absurd, and Fierce Five captain Aly Raisman was upset as well. This was Karolyi’s take on it, “It will hurt the spectacle, what the gymnasts can provide for the whole world, and would eliminate some of the strongest gymnasts just in our country. Even when the team was six we had to leave home some strong ones. I totally don’t feel like I am really happy about that, but decisions will be taken, and we will be with any kind of decision. That’s what we did in the past, even if something doesn’t seem like very smart or very good, but once the rules are set for us, we will go with it.”

Are you kidding me?!? Changing the 2020 gymnastics Olympic team to 4 girls instead of 5? What's next? A team of one member? What a shame.

— Alexandra Raisman (@Aly_Raisman) May 15, 2015