China gymnast guilty of age fraud, medals could be lost(from 2000 Sydney Olympics)

Reuters ^ | 02/27/10

[TigerLikesRooster]

China gymnast guilty of age fraud, medals could be lost

BEIJING, Feb 27 (Reuters) - The six Chinese women gymnasts who won a team bronze at the 2000 Sydney Olympics are likely to be forced to return their medals after one of them was found to have falsified her age.

An International Gymastics Federation (FIG) probe has found Dong Fangxiao was younger than the minimum age requirement of 16 during the 2000 Games after she registered different ages at Sydney and the Beijing Games eight years later.

“Consequently, the results obtained by Dong Fangxiao at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games have been cancelled,” the FIG said in a statement on Saturday.

“The FIG Executive Committee decision was forwarded to the IOC Executive Board with the recommendation to withdraw the bronze medal obtained by the Chinese team including the results of Dong Fangxiao in Sydney.”

The statement said Dong had registered a Jan. 20, 1983, birth date at Sydney, but when accredited to act as “secretary” at vault at the 2008 Beijing Games, had declared her birth date as Jan. 23, 1986.

[dfwgator]

"Do I even need to say it?"

[PackerBoy]

Wow, that investigation really moved quickly!

[IDontLikeToPayTaxes]

It took 10 years to get to a resolution on this?

[Theo]

We knew this years ago!

[Blood of Tyrants]

That means it will only be 2018 until they figure out the Chicoms falsified the women’s gymnasts’ ages in 2008, too.

[FourPeas]

This makes the UN look positively speedy.

[gov_bean_ counter]

Maybe the International Gymnastics Federation can find Obie's birth certificate.

[SengirV]

So that means we’ll find out about all the 10-12 year old Chinese Gymnasts from Bejing when exactly?

[doc1019]

Would only take them ten years and that would be to late. ;-)

[apillar]

Not much of a punishment taking their medals away 10 years later. The have already got the glory, endorsements and money (if China allows such things) that such a win brings.

[I still care]

Those little girls were the most pathetic things I’d seen in a while. They were literally removed from their parents and I’m sure they were half starved. The divers also.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwyyfYiwnoc&feature=related

These children have no parents available to protect them. I saw an interview with one of the Chinese atheletes, she basically said she saw her parents once a year from the time she was three if that.

[Polybius]

" ...... was younger than the minimum age requirement of 16 ...... "

I just don't understand the purpose of this rule.

If you're the best, you're the best, whether you are 12 or 16 or 93.

[GrannyAnn]

This is why I lost interest in the Olympics years ago along with the cheating, bad judging, drugs...what’s the point.

[Traveler59]

From what I remember about the international debate concerning this, it is mostly due to the physical development of a young girl at age 12 or 13 verses one at age 16 or 17. A younger girl doesn't have fully developed hips of chest and therefore has a distinct advantage over an older woman. The advantage is that the center of balance is very different between the two.

- Traveler

[Ramius]

I’m not sure I see the point in a minimum age rule. Seems a plenty self-limiting. It does take significant time to develop the necessary skills. It’s not like there would be six year olds beating 15 year olds. I also wonder if taking ten years to figure this out isn’t a bit much. What? are we going to go back and second-guess some other olympic judges’ rulings too? Maybe Olga Korbut didn’t stick a landing as perfectly as she was given credit for. Maybe we need to revisit those medals too?

I know there’s rules. But sometimes the rules get silly.

[Ramius]

I can see that. But there’s also the time it takes to develop sufficient muscletone and skill... I guess I don’t really know, but I simply doubt that a girl at 12 or 13 could really be competitive at that level against a girl at 15, 16 or 17. Experience counts.

[PaleoBob]

Commies cheating? OMG
/s

[citizencon]

Good point.

[ak267]

Dear 4th place team,

Congrats,

The Chinese cheated (duhhh) and so you get the bronze.

Sorry, no podium glory, TV or parades. No $$$$ out of it either (though the commies showered their drones with a few yuan....you get NOTHING). They get the memories and are treated as heros...you...no so much. No doubt the Chinese gov’t is telling their gymnists that it’s a travesty and a plot by IOC pigs. No worries, we’ll make you new medals and have another cerimony.

Guess you can sue if your heart is in to it.