Big news emerged from the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) meetings this week and the Olympic team size has been reduced from five to four starting at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. There will also be the opportunity for two individuals to qualify outside of the team competition. The changes are set but the full details have not been released. Read more here.

This is clearly a big change for the sport and most people in the gymnastics community are not happy. Fans have expressed skepticim and even outrage, and top level gymnasts including Olympic champions are voicing their concerns. See some of the top social media posts below:

The news was initially posted by Steve Butcher, FIG men's technical committee president, who said he himself did not support the change. 

USA Today's Nancy Armour

Earlier this week, USA Today sports columnist Nancy Armour wrote that this change would be "unnecessary and excessive" and would "dilute the quality of the competition for what is only the sport's most prestigious event." Read Armour's full piece here. Once the change was made public, Armour tweeted:

Gymnastics approves cutting Olympic team size from five to four starting in 2020. Congrats @officialFIG, you just ruined your sport

-- Nancy Armour (@nrarmour) May 15, 2015

US National Team Coordinator Martha Karolyi

US national team coordinator Martha Karolyi has also openly opposed the idea calling it "absurd."

"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," Karolyi said. "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."

2012 Olympic Champ Aly Raisman

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

2004 Olympic AA Champ Carly Patterson

Agreed girl. Just ridiculous. 😡 https://t.co/VBm9jACk4X

-- Carly Patterson (@CarlyPatterson) May 15, 2015

2012 Olympic Champ Jordyn Wieber

So disappointing.... http://t.co/VQRalPaZa8

-- Jordyn Wieber (@jordyn_wieber) May 15, 2015

2012 Olympian Jake Dalton

This is crazy. As if the 5 person team is not small enough now 4?! https://t.co/bVBWaOEpF7

-- Jake Dalton (@jake_dalton) May 15, 2015

UCLA Bruin, 2012 British Olympic Alternate Danusia Francis

So there's only gonna be 4 people on a team starting in 2020. Way to crush more dreams...

-- Danusia Francis (@danusiafrancis) May 15, 2015

Stanford Gymnast Taylor Rice

@danusiafrancis classic move by FIG to discourage as many people as possible. As if the elite world wasn't exclusive enough 😪

-- Taylor Rice (@tayloraterice) May 15, 2015

Florida Gator, Former US National Team Member Kennedy Baker

They just eliminated the Olympic team to 4 members... That's not even a team, that's a small get together.

-- Kennedy Baker (@KennBaker15) May 15, 2015

2008 British Olympian Becky Downie

So the next generation of gymnasts will be pushed out of team events if they're not a top AA gymnast ? Way to inspire the next generation !!

-- Becky Downie (@Bdownie) May 15, 2015

UCLA Bruin, 2012 British Olympian Jennifer Pinches

This is rubbish. 5 on an Olympic Team was small enough, but 4? Ridiculous. http://t.co/GwFWc2Cc3S

-- Jennifer Pinches (@jempin515) May 15, 2015

World Champion Chellsie Memmel

Not really understanding how a four person team will be beneficial for our sport.....

-- Chellsie Memmel (@CMemmel) May 15, 2015

Georgia Gymnast, Former US National Team Member, Worlds Alternate Chelsea Davis

As If it wasn't hard enough to make the Olympic team in the United States now it's 4? #dreamcrushingfig #foreverthegirlwhowasnextspot

-- Chelsea Davis (@Gymdogchels) May 15, 2015

2012 Olympian Danell Leyva

Yea it's going to be ridiculous.... They should've brought back the 6th person but they literally did the opposite https://t.co/jrHCjQbFvm

-- Danell Johan Leyva (@DanellJLeyva) May 15, 2015

Change.org petition

There is a petition on Change.org to reverse the decision that argues the change "not only means the individual specialists would not win a team medal, it also puts countries who are not entirely on the map for gymnastics at a disadvantage to place well at the Olympics and also to qualify to other FIG meets." You can see the petition and sign it here.

Related:
Gymnastics Olympic Team Sized Reduced to Four