China is under investigation by the International Olympic Committee for putting underage gymnasts on its gold medal-winning Olympic team in Beijing. And now we learn that China has violated the minimum age rule in the past.
Yang Yun, who won the bronze medal in the uneven bars in 2000 (on the right in the above photo), admitted during an interview aired on state broadcaster China Central Television that she was 14 during the 2000 Games, the Associated Press is reporting.
That makes her too young to compete under Olympic rules, and if the International Olympic Committee enforces its rules properly, she will be stripped of her bronze in the uneven bars, and China will be stripped of its bronze in the team competition for using an underage gymnast. Viktoria Karpenko of Ukraine finished fourth in the uneven bars and the United States finished fourth in the team competition, and those gymnasts should be awarded the bronze.
Unfortunately, the International Olympic Committee has made clear that it will look the other way no matter how often China flouts the rules. China cheated by putting the 14-year-old Yang on its Olympic team, but sometimes cheaters do win.
Comments (Page 1 of 9)
Well , if the Olympic governed people didn't do anything about China breaking the rules then there shouldn't be a committee PERIOD!
The problem is just this! They let them get away with this before ,so way should they stop NOW!?
The outcome to all of this ,If the commitee does nothing it will put a black cloud on the whole Oylmpics in general?
When a child competes (under the age of 16) in general at young ages it really isn't that important to them "to win" and it makes it easier for them as in , "just having Fun" to compete..
When it comes to the doping, Americans have no right to disparage other countries’ athletes. Just think of the shameless cheaters in the athletics such as the 100-metre men and women events who bamboozled the whole world for so long.
Here are some delicate lines which revealed your biased attitude misled by the western media. I have lived Beijing for 10 years. The air quality is definitely improving and not as serious as the western media has exaggerated.
If the opening ceremony is good, the western media will say China spends too much money, it’s a waste.
If the opening ceremony is bad, the western media will say China is poor and backward.
If China does not take any medals, the western media will say that China does not possess the ability to win and Chinese are weak.
If China takes many medals, the western media will say that China depends entirely on the rules to win.
If foreign athletes use of the rules, the western media will compliment their cleverness.
If foreign athletes did not use the rules, the western media will say they have a great strength.
If the Chinese athletes use the rules, the western media will say they are opportunistic.
If the Chinese athletes do not use the rules, the western media will say they are foolish.
If China gets very few gold medals, the western media will say China's overall national strength still lags behind.
If China sweeps the gold medals, the western media will cast doubts about will the gold medal demonstrate the strength of China?
If China sweeps in one event, the western media will say that it’s contrary to the spirit of joint participation, the event should be simply cancelled.
If America sweeps in one event, the western media will say that American athletes are very strong and can only be described as genius.
If China does a good job in Olympics, the western media will say the Chinese nationwide system is a waste of resources.
If China does a bad job in Olympics, the western media will say the Chinese nationwide system still has a long way to go.
If foreign athletes received the training through paying their own money, the western media will say this is a manifestation of the spirit of sports, and would not cost taxpayer's money.
If Chinese athletes received the training through paying their own money, the western media will say China does not attach great importance to sports, and require their athletes to pay for their fees.
If foreign countries only obtain one gold medal, the western media will say it is only a gold medal; people in the country do not care.
If China obtains only one gold medal, the western media will say how more than 1 billion Chinese people only produce only one gold medal.
If foreign athletes make low-level errors in the events the western media will say the spirit of participation is great, enjoyment of the Olympics is more important.
If Chinese athletes make low-level errors the western media will say Chinese have a great psychological impairment and competitive sports just put too much pressure on them.
If the foreign athletes acquire the victory and shed tears, the western media will say this is the true Olympic spirit.
If the Chinese athletes acquire the victory and shed tears, the western media will say this is caused by their keen pursuit of gold medals.
mnbm is clearly Chinese and an apologist for anything they do and any way they cheat to get more metals.
I think athletes that go to univeristies in the US, train in the US, often live in the US and "represent their motherland" should be tossed out of the games, like the US swimmer who identifies herself as Zimbabwe, except when she lives, trains and goes to colllege in the US.
Likewise for most Caribbean runners who are on academic schoolarships in the US. They either represent the US or stop giving them money and training. I am sick of this nonsense. WWII is over and supporting the rest of the world has to stop, especially when we are the largest debtor nation.
Investigation is still on. Please don't conclude who is at fault.
In 2000 the IOC took the AA gold medal from Andrea Raducan just because she took the cold medication, given by the team doctor, which happened to have one substance on the drug list. Due to the carelessness of the doctor, she lost the gold. And now the IOC delete that substance from the drug list. They should reurn the gold medal to Raducan who won it fair and square.
Sometimes cheaters win? That old adage cheaters never win is for children. In the real world cheaters win all the time, thats why they do it. Its the hubris cheating combo (the Rocket's current situation for example) that'll get ya.
The should not be able to get away. All there Medals should be taken away.
So much for fairness in olympic sports! Looking the other way is cheating by grown mature adults who should know better! Will someone please tell them where to put their heads the next time they catch an athlete cheating! Perhaps the Olympic Committee should get a LIVETIME BAN!!!!!
the IOC is a joke , just like these games are . can think of an event that is more of a joke than the Olympics , come on every four years every country in the world can tolerate each other for 3 weeks , the go back to hating each other for the next four . IMO the games have lost its luster ,long gone are the days of the Jesse Owens games when they meant something & a greater good was trying to be obtained . now a country cheats & is allowed to get away with it , but had this been an athlete he or she would have been banned form competing in the next Olympics . wow how the times have truly changed & this has become a joke of an event.
I agree with you. To cheat to win is bad, but to teach this to our children, is even worse. China prides themselves as superior, too bad they can't prove it and stay within the rules. I'm wondering about the judging as well. Any country that will cheat about age requirements, certainly wouldn't pass up bribing a judge.
The bottom line is they cheated and should be stripped of the medals. Obviously if they cheated using passports in 2000 they used the same method of cheating in 2008. If they don't want to inforce the "age" rule they should change it. Make it a weight requirement instead. Therefore if they have a 13 year old that can make weight, then let them compete. For those that feel the games are a joke... focus on the sports that aren't judged. Swimming, Track, diving, basketball... Thats what make the Olympic fun.
I don't think you meant to put diving on that list. (That said, while I am no expert, the judging in diving seemed ok to me from what I saw. Better than boxing which seems to have given way to slap fighting and gymnastics where landing on your knees can win you a medal in vault.
the committee set an age limit for a reason, which should be abided by, and they need to enforce it, and those who violated the rules should be severly punished, i.e up to and including stripped of their medals, and those medals awarded to the next in sucession.. and so on, they should also be made to pay a fine.. and not able to participate for 6-10 yrs.. Maybe this harsh punishment will have them thinking twice before disregarding the guide lines...
YOU PEOPLE HAVE NO HEART, LET ALONE BRAINS.... YOU MEAN YOU CAN WIN THE GOLD BUT CANT BEAT A 14 YEAR OLD IN YOUR EVENT...... DO YOU THINK THERE WAS A 14 YEAR OLD THAT COULD HAVE BEATEN MR BOLT.... AND IF HE OBJECTED TO THE 14 YEAR OLD BEING ALLOWED TO RACE WHAT KIND OF CHAMPION WOULD HE BE? IF YOU WIN THE GOLD THERE SHOULDNT BE A CHILD BETTER THAN YOU.....
Well Ted, I could agree with you if there was not a rule involved. If it is OK to allow younger peope to participate, then change the rule and let all young athletes particitae. You can't have both ways. Either change it or follow it. Evidently someone at some pooint thought it was important.
The fact that their are rules in place about age in a sport should tell you something. Rules are usually not arbitrary. The specific rule in play here is there to protect child atheletes. The age rule is in place so that young children are not injured when they preform without fear, as children often do. With that being said; if every country follows the rules, except one, it casts a shadow on the event. It gives the cheater an advantage. Younger people are inherintly more flexible, and as I said before, generally have less fear. less fear of injury and less fear of failure. The other athletes in the event have been training for a long time, they may have had the ability to compete in past Olympics because of their skill, but did not because of their age. Just because you know how to drive at 14 doesn't give you the right to do it. Rules are rules.
it figures we play fair and get screwed just like trying to help the air and look at their country if we do it they should too and the team metaos should be taken away and awarded to the rightful people
And we are supposed to be surprised at this????
Some of the the 2008 Chinese girls are not of age. I guarantee it!!
It really isn't a question of whether or not a 14 year old can win. The question is, you have a rule are you going to enforce it? It the rule stands, they should be enforcing it - no questions. If China is breaking the rules, then the medals should be taken away. What sort of lesson is that teaching the nations of the world if they let China ( or anyone else) get away with it? Shame on the IOC!
Well then, there it is! If this is the message we receive form the governing powers, let the cheating begin! Cheat oin your taxes, rip off corporate america and cheat on your souse. Let the whole world drown in a no rule society.