China's Age Controversy Not Going Away
Friday August 15, 2008
 Jiang Yuyuan Photo © Julian Finney / Getty Images |
It's been reported that all three have had younger birth dates listed in past Chinese competitions, but that their current passports all show that they are old enough to compete. Under the current age rules, a gymnast must turn 16 by the end of the calendar year in order to participate in the Olympics.
It's important to note that these rules have always been controversial, and there have been numerous cases in which a gymnast has admitted after the fact that her age was falsified, and a few in which the country has actually been caught.
Best known is the case of 1991 World Bars Champion Kim Gwang-Suk. The North Korean federation was penalized after it was discovered that Kim's age had been listed as 15 for three consecutive years. Kim was allowed to keep her medals, but North Korea was banned from the 1993 Worlds.
Though the evidence does appear credible that the Chinese birth years are being adjusted, the IOC and FIG have already ruled that the passports are in order and that there will be no further investigation. I guess it's possible they will bow to the pressure the media is imposing, but it doesn't seem likely.
Of course the Chinese should follow the rules that everyone else follows, but I don't think anyone will dispute that China did the best gymnastics on the day of the team final. If anything, these age questions should force the FIG to re-examine the age limit. In my opinion there shouldn't be an age limit if it's not enforceable.
What do you think of all the media coverage? I think it's getting in the way of all the amazing gymnastics we've seen.
POLL: What should the age limit be?
Articles About the Age Controversy:
TIME magazine
The New York Times
The Associated Press
CBC Sports
Comments
I agree it’s like the media is just looking for somethng to latch onto to. The gymnasts shoudl get the attention — they have been great! And China deserved team gold. I think age can either way. It can help or hurt. It’s not that big of an advanage after all.
Get rid of the age limit? I think it should be 20 years old! Then the women would be happier and healthier.
I think it is wrong for doing this to the China girls. The Americans have always thought their way is the right way. They question everything and complain about everything and everyone if it is not in their best interest. All the Americans want is to control and be right for their (stirring the pot) and that’s putting it lightly. Politics have no place in the Olympic Games at all. This is something that originated from Greek’s and now this year have been very disappointing to me because the US is now attacking as if the Chinese are in the wrong all because they have more Gold Metals than the US girls. The Americans can not control the entire world, but they try too. If it had been the US team that was winning, age would have never come up. And the media only exploits it more by running it in the ground. I watched the news every morning as I do before work to get an update on the games and the first thing I see is the media gloating over the 2 girls that won. They could have ate 10 miles of thier (#@$*)because they were the ones (media) that was against the China girls so much. The US girls performed well, but what I saw was the favortism and prejudice against another group of girls from another country because now age is a factor.Who are they to judge and critisize anyone. If you are good, you are good. Why should it matter. And all these people talking about pressing the children at such an early age and forcing them to become involved in sports is too much. All countries are not run the same and everyone trains different no matter how old you are or how young you are. I have a 14yr relative that is in field events. He competed with other high schools this past spring in long jump and triple jump and broke everyone’s school record that was in the region and he competed in the junior olympics this year and came in 2nd in the nation at the age of 14. Now is something wrong with this. He have many offers from colleges from around the country because of how great he is is sports. Basketball and football is also a speciality of his also.
The Chinese are cheating though. No one should be able to get past the rules. Rules are rules, and if the chinese are’t following them they should be disqualified. I’m sick of it too though, why don’t they just investigate it and decide once and for all.
The Chinese are cheating. They are breaking the rules. Therefore they should have their medals taken from them. If the USA was caught violating an olympic rule, you can guarantee we’d be getting crucified.
i agree with meredith but China is cheating… though unfortunately. they dominate in the sport but should have followed the rules..
Of course the Chinese team did “the best gymnastics on the day of the team final”; women gymnasts usually peak around 14-15 years old!
It’s obvious that women peak early in gymnastics and it definitely gives China the advantage. But last I checked, this was WOMEN’S Gymnastics, not “CHILDREN’S Gymnastics.”
I agree that if countries are going to cheat anyway and put in younger girls, then there shouldn’t be an age limit at all. Every country should get an equal advantage. It’s as bad as when athletes use drugs to enhance their performance. China is cheating. No bones about it.
Sally is an idiot. A poor writer and a rambling, ethno-centrist also. You also son’t know anything about history, so do not invoke the Greeks. You are an idiot, turn off the computer and watch your soaps…
The problem is not that the girls didn’t perform well, although at times the judging was questionable. It is the fact that IF they are only 14, we the public are being lied too plus someone took extra steps to falsify records. IF they did lie about the girls ages then these girls are going to have to play the age game for along time if not forever. I think IF they did it is unfair to make this girls lie also.
I am 17, from Katy high school, I thing even though I am look as a student think the age Restriction should be inforced cause anyone under 16 should pay attention to school before going to the Olympics. I know the Summer Olympics is every 4 years, but this 3 childs have another 4 years to become 18 or 19 years of age to Compete. There is no excuses that China can make up to defend them. I know for a fact changing information on a Passport especially age, is a International Law under U.N. Policy and is against the Social Secuity policy to. I think China might get a big question to the Olympic Committee personal and the united nation.
The news just revealed that the Chinese have produced birth certificates for their gymnasts. Now let’s use the fantastic forensic testing available to prove the ‘age’ of the ink on these documents. It can be proven if the ink is old or new. By doing this, it can be determined if the birth certificates are forged or not.