Thursday, August 14, 2008

Chinese Women's Gymnastics Team Controversy

Online data is suggesting that the Chinese Team broke the rules. By the International Gymnastics rules, women competing in the Olympics must be 16 in the year of the Olympics. But the Chinese team looks like none of the girls have not even sniffed at puberty, let alone actually gotten there. They all look like my seven year old daughter physically.

Compare with the U.S. Team, with lots more muscle and actual curves that you would expect to see on a 16-18 year old girl.

Read this non-denial denial:
Zhang Hongliang, an official with China's gymnastics delegation at the games, said Thursday the differing ages which have appeared in Chinese media reports had not been checked in advance with the gymnastics federation.

"It's definitely a mistake," Zhang said of the Xinhua report, speaking in a telephone interview. "Never has any media outlet called me to check the athletes' ages."

Asked whether the federation had changed their ages to make them eligible, Zhang said: "We are a sports department. How would we have the ability to do that?"
Passports are "accepted" proof of age, but like all documents, they can be forged or actually issued in error. I don't know if these girls are actually underage, but the confluence of circumstances certainly hints that way.

Will the results be changed? Not anytime soon and certainly not today as the women (girls) will compete in the individual all-around and more golds potentially on the way for the Chinese women.

If you see a change, you will see medals stripped after the Olympics have concluded and done in a very low-profile manner, lest the International Olympic Committee offend the Chinese hosts.

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