Underage Chinese Athlete Allegations Surge

No Proof Found Yet Implicating Women's Olympic Gymnasts, But IOC Asks For More Documents

(CBS/ AP)  China was asked to provide additional documents proving that five of the six members of its gold medal women's gymnastics team were old enough to compete in the Beijing Olympics, in hopes of ending persistent questions about the girls' ages.

The International Olympic Committee said Friday there is still no proof anyone cheated, but it asked gymnastics officials to investigate "what have been a number of questions and apparent discrepancies," spokeswoman Giselle Davies said. The International Gymnastics Federation asked China to submit documents that will further substantiate the ages of He Kexin, Yang Yilin, Jiang Yuyuan, Deng Linlin and Li Shanshan.

The federation said it would forward its conclusions to the IOC. If it finds evidence that the gymnasts were underage, it could affect four of China's six medals. In addition to the team gold and He's gold on uneven bars, Yang won bronze medals in the all-around and bars.

"It is in the interests of all concerned, not least the athletes themselves, to resolve this issue once and for all," the FIG said in a statement.

Chinese government Web pages once published - apparently now adjusted or removed - had shown at least half of China's women's gymnastics team may be as young as 14, a contradiction of what's on passports supplied by the Chinese government, reports CBS News correspondent Jeff Glor.

So far, however, all the information the Chinese gymnastics federation has presented supports its insistence that its athletes were old enough to compete.

"We believe the matter will be put to rest and there's no question ... on the eligibility," Davies said. "The information we have received seems satisfactory in terms of the correct documentation - including birth certificates."

With the games wrapping up Sunday, the IOC wants to quickly end any lingering doubts about underage competitors.

No one would be happier to finally have closure on the controversy than the gymnasts' parents.

China coach Lu Shanzan said the parents are "indignant" over persistent questions about their daughters' ages.

"It's not just me. The parents of our athletes are all very indignant," Lu said. "They have faced groundless suspicion. Why aren't they believed? Why are their children suspected? Their parents are very angry."

In an interview with The Associated Press, Lu said Asian gymnasts are naturally smaller than their American and European rivals.

"At this competition, the Japanese gymnasts were just as small as the Chinese," he said. "Chinese competitors have for years all been small. It is not just this time. It is a question of race. European and American athletes are all powerful, very robust. But Chinese athletes cannot be like that. They are by nature that small."

He said the governing body of gymnastics was given additional documents Thursday night to try to dispel lingering questions. Those documents included He's current and former passport, ID card and family residence permit. Lu said the documents all say she was born in 1992, which would have made her eligible to compete. Gymnasts must turn 16 during the Olympic year to be eligible.

"Surely it's not possible that these documents are still not sufficient proof of her birth date?" Lu asked. "The passports were issued by the Chinese Foreign Ministry. The identity card was issued by China's Ministry of Public Security. If these valid documents are not enough to clarify this problem, then what will you believe?

"The Chinese government and the Chinese athletes must be respected," he added.

The coach dismissed Chinese media reports and online records that suggested that He, Yang and a third team member, Jiang Yuyuan, might be as young as 14.

"If you trust every Web site but not a government...," he said. "There are so many Web sites, so much hearsay. These are not official. It is possible that all news on the Internet is accurate?"

The federation has said repeatedly that a passport is the "accepted proof of a gymnast's eligibility," and that China's gymnasts have presented ones that show they are age eligible. The IOC also checked the girls' passports and deemed them valid before the games began.

Neither the IOC nor the FIG gave details on what new information prompted it to act now, three days after the gymnastics competition ended.

"With some questions still remaining, we asked the federation to take a closer look," Davies said.

The U.S. Olympic Committee said it sent a letter to the IOC and the FIG on Friday, asking that the matter be resolved.

"We certainly believe that it's important for the IOC and the international federation to review the issue and hopefully lay it to rest because the questions surrounding the age of some of the athletes have been out there for quite a while and it's unfair to them and unfair to the other athletes to continue to linger," USOC chief executive Jim Scherr said.

"So we have sent a letter to the IOC and to the international federation asking them to review the matter and see if they can't resolve it for the good of the competition, the integrity of the competition and the good of all the athletes."

The Chinese women won six medals, including the team gold and He's gold on uneven bars. Media reports include a Nov. 3 story by the Chinese government's news agency, Xinhua, that suggest He is only 14. Asked again earlier this week about her age after winning the uneven bars title, beating American Nastia Liukin in a tiebreak, she said:

"I was born in 1992, and I'm 16 years old now," He said. "The FIG has proved that. If I'm under 16, I couldn't have been competing here."

Earlier this month, the AP found registration lists previously posted on the Web site of the General Administration of Sport of China that showed both He and Yang were too young to compete. He was born Jan. 1, 1994, according to the 2005, 2006 and 2007 registration lists. Yang was born Aug. 26, 1993, according to the 2004, 2005 and 2006 registration lists. In the 2007 registration list, however, her birthday has changed to Aug. 26, 1992.

"We played fair at this Olympic Games," Liukin's father and coach, Valeri, said after they arrived back in the United States. "... If somebody cheated, shame on them."

Added Steve Penny, president of USA Gymnastics: "USA Gymnastics has always believed this issue needed to be addressed by the FIG and IOC. An investigation would help bring closure to the issue and remove any cloud of speculation from this competition."

Age falsification has been a problem in gymnastics since the 1980s after the minimum age was raised from 14 to 15 to protect young athletes from serious injuries. The minimum age was raised to its current 16 in 1997. Younger gymnasts are considered to have an advantage because they are more flexible and are likely to have an easier time doing the tough skills the sport requires. They also aren't as likely to have a history of injuries or fear of failure.

North Korea was barred from the 1993 world championships after FIG officials discovered Kim Gwang Suk, the gold medalist on uneven bars in 1991, was listed as 15 for three years in a row. Romania admitted in 2002 that several gymnasts' ages had been falsified, including Olympic medalists Gina Gogean and Alexandra Marinescu.

Even China's own Yang Yun, a double bronze medalist in Sydney, said during an interview aired on state broadcaster China Central Television that she was 14 during the 2000 Games.

[sopheapang]

First of all, there is no proof that the girls are under age. Second of all, if I was beaten by an under age little girl, it would be so shameful that I would never even mention about it. Gymnastics is about skill, not age. For those cry babies who cry about not getting the gold medal that the U.S. team didn''t deserve, all they have to do is to count the gold medals that U.S. team has won again and again, this will make their gold medal counts bigger than the Chinese. Satisfied?

[tothestars2]

It is sad that today the true spirit behind the olympics has been lost. From its begginings as a tribute to the gods, to the modern day friendship of competition, our news media of today concentrates so much on the winning of gold medals. Sure they have shown us all the struggles that athletes have endured to compete at the games, but what about after the games? Will we ever hear how the bonds the athletes have made, change the way we think of each other? Will we ever hear of how friendships made, brought us closer to each others ideals and ways of life? I challenge you in the media to keep us, the people, more informed of the true "spirit" of the olympics.

[trrrorislam1]

2008 OLYMPIC CHEATING

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=2008+OLYMPIC CHEATING

CHINA SPECIAL OLYMPICS/CHEATING,,,

see medal counts of previous olymics,,,

as this link shows,,,

2008 Medal Count
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2008/08/04/sports/olympics/20080804_MEDALCOUNT_MAP.html

2008

United States 36 38 36 110

China 51 21 28 100

Russia 23 21 28 72

[trrrorislam1]

CHINA SPECIAL/CHEATING OLYMPICS,,,

International Olympic Committee launches probe into He Kexin''s age
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/olympics/article4583174.ece

china stinks,,,

always has,,,

always will,,,

USA ROCKS,,,

United States total medals 107

China total medals 96

Russia total medals 70

"A new chapter in the ongoing controversy surrounding China''s women''s gymnastics team opened today, as search engine hacker stryde.hax found surviving copies of official registration documents issued by China''s General Administration of Sport of China. The incriminating documents, expunged by censors from the official site and from Google''s document cache, still appear in the document translation cache of Chinese search giant Baidu, here (1) and here (2), showing the age of one of China''s gold medal winning gymnasts to be 14 instead of 16, the minimum age for competition presented on her government-issued passport. Now that official government documentation is available, how long will the IOC be able to keep a lid on this scandal?"
http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/08/20/1259253

[deacon20081]

After the Little Girl who sang at the opening turned out to be lip sinking to the voice of another little girl who was "not pretty enough" to show case...I don''t believe anything China says. The parents complaining? Comrade you will complain on cue or go to prison in China.

[patriot12436]

If the girls were underage then it only makes the adult athletes look worse for being beaten at their own game by a child.

[patriot12436]

I couldn''t care less what theuir age is, their performance should speak for itself. If anything it should make them look better for being able to comnpete against older athletes and win. I thought the whole idea of olympics was to bring the world together more. I don''t care which country wins, only that the best win in their fields. Sure i am proud when i see my country win, but i enjoy watching the games and to see whoever wins.

[jerr11]

It''s time to bring this matter before the US Supreme Court.

Maybe they''ll just award the Team Gold to Team USA!

LOL

[raysimlee]

This story is to wash over American athlete use of drug. Didn''t one your running athletes recently had her meal taken away?

The white west love to **** on China, Chinese and Chinese culture. They use human right against China as if Chinese are not human. Then they accuse any non white of using racism as shield for criticism.

Check the stories for reality and truth. West media love to lie, fabricate and insult Chinese. CNN and BBC are two phrases in China if somebody lies.

[raysimlee]

This story is to wash over American athlete use of drug. Didn''t one your running athletes recently had her meal taken away?

The white west love to **** on China, Chinese and Chinese culture. They use human right against China as if Chinese are not human. Then they accuse any non white of using racism as shield for criticism.

Check the stories for reality and truth. West media love to lie, fabricate and insult Chinese. CNN and BBC are two phrases in China if somebody lies.

[bobbeck7]

Take the medals of the one who admitted she was underage. use forensics to determine the age it''s done every day and is accurate. if the cross reference with the documents that show they are underage it will prove cheating. The CCG Chinese Cheating games. The only people the fool are their own.

[middleman8]

The Aussie diver is only 14 years old.
We hear no whining and crying about him.
The Chinese factories will have to work overtime to provide Crying Towels for the Mericans. Grow up and move on.

[mikeabc2]

American leftists (read Democrats) love China. The are the only serious challenge to the corrupt and evil BushCo run US. Then you have rich powerful business oriented (read Republicans). They totally support anything China does as long as the big bucks keep rolling in.

With that said the IOC will sweep this under the rung. No story here, move on please.

[matter77]

Notice they throw racism in your face if you question anything.

[shippg]

Most of them looked to be 10-12 years old.

It dos not seem a surprise much of a surprise to me to see those underage girls competing for the Chinese. there was also some information that girls this age also work in sweat shops in thier country also. just par for the course.

[gurusavant]

what''s surprising is that the same hackers (or group of males) weren''t on joe francis heels, or after him so aggressively when he was getting teen girls drunk and video taping them for profit. but i guess when it only benefits the bros, they are not so invested in finding out how old the girl really is...

[pirmin3]

Investigation?? That''s just sour grapes from the US, doping capital of the world.

[fjinnw]

american have cheated in olympic more than any other country. These gymnasts maybe under 16 but at least they compete without doping.

[fjinnw]

american have cheated in olympic more than any other country. These gymnasts maybe under 16 but at least they compete without doping.