When I mentioned it yesterday, it was just more of a fan speculation topic of conversation, but in less than 24 hours the Chinese womens gymnastics age scandal is making headlines on every site in the world! This screen cap from Sports Illustrated reads “How Old Are They?” and ESPN is running something of similar nature. Surely two of the world wide leaders in sports news wouldn’t run something without some sort of information to back it up right?
New reports are showing up claiming that the Chinese government’s own news agency, Xinhua, reported 9 months ago that gymnast He Kexin, at only 13 years old, was one of Chinas top 10 new stars.
The Associated Press recovered the article which made the claim on Wednesday morning, along with a May 23 article from the China Daily, which listed He Kexin as age 14. The AP was smart enough to save a copy of the article which was mysteriously removed from the website later that afternoon.
Two other gymnasts on the team are also under question for their age.
The International Olympic Committee, in charge of checking passports of the athletes to confirm their ages has essentially turned the other cheek on the matter and are acting like it’s media rubbish, but for their own sake right now thats what they should be doing.
The requirements are to be 16 years of age during the Olympic year. Looks can be deceiving, but many are saying there is no way these girls are 16 with their small frames, feather weight bodies, and the fact they are still waiting for the arrival of some adult teeth.
The 2008 games are ratings gold, and as the Michael Phelps story pushes on paired with a little gymnastics controversy, ratings are only going to increase. Plus China is the host of the games, Is it polite to call someone out in their own house?
In all likelihood the truth will eventually come out once the games are over, Unless someone has the Yao Ming’s to step up and serve justice while the games are going on.
The women’s all around final is scheduled for tonight where China is expected to take another gold medal.
For US competitors Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin, performing an almost perfect and safe routine tonight could mean gold now… or later.
Please write letters regarding your thoughts on this issue to FIG: info@fig-gymnastics.org
Please provide any more email addresses you have found to send more letters to. Don’t just talk about it, email them and let them know your upset.
Sample letter follows: (Please forward to friends and families and repost across blogosphere, only pressure from us will fix this)
Dear Sirs/Madams:
Please investigate underage female gymnasts at the
2008 Beijing Olympics. We understand that passports
were used to verify ages for this competition and that
yours and related applicable organizations are content
to hide behind a passport age verification excuse in
the face of obviously contradictory evidence, without
even so much as an investigation.
We, as an international community, expect you to
investigate this issue.
Athletes from the country in question are on
record as having admitted that in past Olympics they
themselves were underage at the time of their
competition in direct violation of the rules.
There is an established history of a country breaking
age qualification rules in the past, documented by
their athletes own admission.
There is print evidence from numerous sources, within
this countries own media and athletic department
documents, showing a discrepancy in ages of athletes.
As an international community and in the true spirit
of the Olympic games, we expect this to be taken
seriously and investigated immediately. Any failure to
do so will be seen as a complete lack of credibility
and enforcement by your organization. Your lack of
action will also cause irreparable damage to the
hearts and minds of developing athletes across the
globe when they realize that you will not investigate
a serious claim to maintain the openness and fairness
of global athletic competition.
“Go Get ‘Em Folks”