Chinese Gymnastics Update

September 26th, 2008 filed in Olympics

It has been over a month since the closing ceremony of the Beijing games and the announcement that the IOC requested the FIG to investigate the ages of the Chinese Gymnastics Team. Apparently this scandal isn’t just being swept under the rug, because the Associated Press now has word that the investigation is ongoing and there is no timetable for when it will be finished. Furthermore, The investigation into the eligibility of the Chinese women’s team at the Beijing Olympics has been expanded to include members of the 2000 squad, which won the bronze medal in Sydney. FIG officials are examining whether Yang Yun and Dong Fangxiao, in particular, were old enough to compete in 2000.

From the article, “FIG investigating China’s 2000 team, too“:

“If we had a look at all the articles that came before, during and after the games, there were always rumors about the ages of China’s athletes in Sydney,” Andre Gueisbuhler, secretary general of the International Gymnastics Federation, told The AP on Wednesday. “We did not have another choice,” he said. “If we want to remain credible, then we have to look into things.”

Yang Yun said a debate over her age, which stemmed from a television interview she gave last year, was the result of a slip of the tongue. In the June 2007 interview that aired on state broadcaster China Central Television, Yang said she was 14 at the Sydney Games. Gymnastics rules require athletes to be 16 during an Olympic year in order to compete.

“At the time I was only 14,” she said in the interview, done in Chinese. “I thought that if I failed this time, I’ll do it again next time. There’s still hope.” That interview, which has been widely reported, contradicts her official birthdate, which is listed as Dec. 2, 1984 and made her eligible for Sydney. “Everyone has misspoken before. On television shows, there are always slips of the tongue,” Yang said Thursday, declining to comment further.

Dong Fangxiao’s birthdate is listed as Jan. 20, 1983, making her 17 at the time of the Sydney Games. Her blog, however, includes a reference to being born in 1985. When reached by the AP, Dong did not deny that her blog says she was born in the Year of the Ox in the Chinese zodiac, which would be 1985. But she refused to answer any questions about her age, saying, “I’ve left the gymnastics team.”

So the scandal that was an honorable mention on our Top 10 Sports Cheating Scandals just yesterday is back in the news. What do our cheating experts think of the latest update?

China’s Gymnasts BEAT the competition in the Olympics
Billy Beater

Haven’t these young ladies been through enough? They have produced documents verifying their ages, and there is little more anyone can do to prove their innocence. It’s not like you can cut them in half and count the rings. These athletes have competed at the highest level of the sport, and have won. We need to move on from this, and stop trying to find excuses for why the United States lost. Now the FIG wants to go back 8 years and investigate those athletes too? This is getting ridiculous.

The Chinese Gymnastics Team CHEATed in the Olympics
Chester Cheater

China has done this before? Shocking! I’m sure this comes as no surprise to most that China has cheated in the past, and will cheat in the future. This latest announcement only helps to further confirm our suspicions from the Beijing games. Poor little Yang thought she could compete again in the Olympics because she was only 14 in Sydney. So that meant she would be competing in 2004 at the age of 18? Zippy chance of that happening in your country, Yang. Your government had already used up every ounce of gymnastics performance out of your body and discarded you aside. You were quickly replaced by the next pre-pubescent pixie to come along and fly through the air. The age cheating by the Chinese Gymnastic Team is chronic, and is an example of the systemic cheating engaged in by the Chinese Olympic Team.

So what do you think? Did they CHEAT or did they BEAT?