Is China pulling a Taiwan?

[Bill in Sinton]

In cheating that is. Have any of you seen their women's gymnastic team? They are great but it sure looks like some of them are younger than 16 and the rules state they have to be at least under sixteen. The announcers said they had international passports that said they were under 16 but those can be fake. It sure looks like they are cheating because they not only look like they are underage but they talk like it too. I admit I am not familier with Chinese people but I wonder.
Don't get me wrong. I think it is a ridiculous and wrong rule to not allow them to compete if they are good. Remember how great NC was when she competed in Montreal. She was only 14 and was great. But still these are the rules they set up. I wish there was some DNA testing or something that could prove one's age.

 

[Napoleon]

Yes

 

[TexanWolv]

If that one girl with the golden sparkley stuff on her eyes is 16 then I'm the starting QB for Texas next year.

 

[Stuck_At_Work]

Didn't the American broadcasters mention that Chinese media had proven the girls weren't 16. I guess it must have been underground media, since I doubt the 'real' media would have been allowed to run such an investigation.

They went on to say that these girls start training at the age of 3... which means by the time they are 12, many of them are good enough to compete internationally.

I can't image putting a 3 year old in an Olympic development program. Then again, I don't live in a developing country.

 

[RayDog]

www.nytimes.com/2008/07/27/sports/olympics/27gymnasts.html?no_interstitial

It appears so.

 

[TexonLongIsland]

couldn't we just cut them in half and count the rings?

 

[Seattle Husker]

Recognizing that Chinese often look very young for their age it appears there is significant evidence that China is falsifying the girls' passports to get them into International competition.

That shows just how important these games are to China which will make it all the more sweet when they lead in Gold medal count until the Track and Field events where we blow by them.

 

[Hornin Hong Kong]

there is no question about it - people over here joke about it.

 

[coopntex]

Wonder why they allow 14 year old divers?And his partner throws him under the bus.

 

[SAChick]

It's not just the women. There was a guy on the Men's team that couldn't have been older than 14. Even next to his team on other Chinese he was just too small to be 16.

 

[Bill in Sinton]

Come on Japan! You caught Taiwan cheating in Little League Baseball. Now catch China cheating in the gymnastics.

 

[Bill in Sinton]

The thing that is so puzzling is all that has been going on. There are articles that suggest the some of the firework display was pre-recorded and one of the Chinese girls that was singing was just mimicing another one's voice and now the underage women's olympics question. But why would China use underage athletes when they know that is against the rules?

 

[YChang]

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