Olympics 2008

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by blueerica

I'm wondering if there will be any challenges to this increasingly subjective style of judging.

It's not so much subjectivity that's a problem as subjectivity masquerading as objectivity. They introduce these fancy systems to supposedly make it less subjective when, unless there is a knockout, subjectivity will always be a part of it. In non-Olympic boxing they make no bones about the fact that the decision is subjective and it's not like anyone's trying to change that.

[swanie]

If you add up the "true" ages of the girls on the Chinese Women's Gymnastics team..I doubt even then that you'd come close to 16.

16 years old my a$$.

[BarTopDancer]

Originally Posted by swanie

If you add up the "true" ages of the girls on the Chinese Women's Gymnastics team..I doubt even then that you'd come close to 16.

16 years old my a$$.

Wouldn't that be a scandal. Forged passports and other government documents too (they said the IOC verified ages using passports).

[scaeagles]

Swanie - is that a pic of the Chinese gymnastics team in you avatar?

[wendybeth]

Literal lol here, Scaeagles- we were just commenting on the Chinese girl gymnasts a minute ago.

[swanie]

Originally Posted by BarTopDancer

Wouldn't that be a scandal. Forged passports and other government documents too (they said the IOC verified ages using passports).

Now there are reports that a 3rd Chinese gymnast may be under age.

From the CBC...

The age of a third Chinese gymnast is in doubt, making half of China's women's gymnastics team possibly too young to compete in the Olympics.

Yang Yilin was born Aug. 26, 1993, according to 2004, 2005 and 2006 registration lists previously posted on the General Administration of Sport of China's website.

Yang is a medal favourite in the all-around and uneven bars, but the previously listed birth date would make her 15 at the end of August, below the minimum age of 16.

Yang's birth date on the 2007 registration list, however, is stated as Aug. 26, 1992, making her eligible.

The ages of two other Chinese gymnasts are also in doubt: He Kexin, a gold-medal favourite on uneven bars, and Jiang Yuyuan.

Then from the NY Times...

Several Chinese sports registries showed that He Kexin, Jiang Yuyuan and Yang Yilin did not meet that age requirement.

Chinese authorities have produced passports to prove those gymnasts are old enough to compete. The international gymnastics federation, known as the F.I.G., issued a statement Saturday, saying the passports were proof that the Chinese were playing fair. International Olympic Committee officials agreed.....

....A passport, however, may not be undisputed documentation of a gymnast’s age. Yang Yun won two bronze medals at the 2000 Sydney Games, in the uneven bars and as a member of the Chinese team. The United States team finished fourth.

Afterward, Yang said on state-run television that she was 14 when she competed at the Games. A Hunan Province sports administration report confirmed that.

I know none of this is new, but in this day an age it seems ludicrous to simply accept photocopied passports as proof. By having the due diligence be the responsibility of the submitting country, the IOC is turning a blind eye to this kind of cheating. By their non-involvement they are basically condoning it.

[swanie]

Originally Posted by scaeagles

Swanie - is that a pic of the Chinese gymnastics team in you avatar?

I'm sure I have a photocopies of their passports around here somewhere...

[alphabassettgrrl]

I could get behind the "amateur-only" qualifier for the Olympics. It just doesn't seem fair to have professionals alongside non-pros.

[Alex]

I say let them compete at whatever age. If they can get their Olympics career out of the way at 13 that is four fewer years of exploitation and abuse.

[Gemini Cricket]

Watching the USA ladies gymnasts tonight was nerve wracking for me. It's like when I watch the skating during the Winter Olympics. I keep thinking someone's going to totally eat sh!t. (And a couple of times tonight they did. Ouch.)