The Chinese gymnasts story - the plot thickens

I guess most people have heard about the that some members of the Chinese girl's gymnastics team were under age, but I was more surprised by this report.

What the researchers also found was that in several instances, the stories which had reported the 'wrong' ages - either written before the girls in question made the Olympic team or before anyone realized age mattered so much, the numbers were simply mentions in results-driven stories about various competitions - have been corrected to reflect the 'right', or state-approved, ages.

In one example from May of this year, the online version of the China Daily newspaper cheerfully reported the dazzling arrival of a new face, the aforementioned He, and her age as 14. Now the same edition of the story - identical in all other regards - reports He's age as 16. Only the 'cached' version of the original story unearthed by the researchers points to the truth.

In another example, on Dec. 1 last year, Sohu Sports Online reported He's age as 13; the new corrected version, identical as the original in every other way, now gives her age as 15.

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I think maybe I would have accepted China's story - now this is happened I can't trust them at all.

I suppose I have to ask, do they think everyone would be so stupid not to notice? Or are they so arrogant that they don't care because they think/know they've got away with it?

I suppose I have to ask, do they think everyone would be so stupid not to notice? Or are they so arrogant that they don't care because they think/know they've got away with it?

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I saw the little girls on Tv and thought..no way they are or will be 16 this year. That same day I saw an forensic anthropoligist on Tv analizing their photos & videos. He took some measurements concerning growth with a computer. Examined photos of the girls teeth. He said those girls were no more than 12-13 years old.

I believe him.

It's basically the same thing with the US track and field. Some over 100 athletes tested positive for banned drugs by the United States Olympic Committee, but still cleared to compete. Maybe one or two athletes had take the stimulants inadvertently, but over a 100? It is ridiculous. I guess sweeping the olympics in track and field in 88 was really that important. It wasn't until much later when other Olympic champs begin to come out against the United States Olympic Committee's cover up did we knew about the real story.

Because the officals believe they can get away with it and then they will do it.

I'll be honest. I have not followed the games since the 1976 Montreal games.

It's basically the same thing with the US track and field. Some over 100 athletes tested positive for banned drugs by the United States Olympic Committee, but still cleared to compete

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We were posting about the tiny Chinese gymnast..But I do get your point.

From what I understand there are many over the counter medications that are on the banned list by the Olympic committee. So conseviably a person could take a cold medication and pop positive on their drug test. Ridiclous.

I saw on Tv yesterday that each track & field athlete has a shadow that follows them around 27/7 to make sure they are not doping up. Those track & field athletes are given drug test daily.

Oh well.. All the athletes have to play by the same rules.

bd popeye said:

So conseviably a person could take a cold medication and pop positive on their drug test. Ridiclous

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I think that's exactly what happened to a poor gymnast at Atlanta or Sydney - she was banned/stopped from taking her medal because she had tested positive for something used by weightlifters or whatever! She said it was cough medicine given to her by her coach, who thought it had been cleared by the gymnastics authorities.

I'm surprised that the Chinese authorities thought they could get away with this, but the worst is that they're exploiting the girls like this. Other countries have done this too, but that's no defence.

I'm surprised that the Chinese authorities thought they could get away with this, but the worst is that they're exploiting the girls like this. Other countries have done this too, but that's no defence.

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You are correct..no defense!. Wrong is wrong no matter who did the deed.

I remember in the Soviet Block days their were questions about the "East" German female swimmers. Turned out they were taking male hormones & steroids. I saw on the Tv an expose about the survivors of the hormone treatment. They now look like men.

By the way I don't watch that much Tv..

bd popeye said:

I'll be honest. I have not followed the games since the 1976 Montreal games.



We were posting about the tiny Chinese gymnast..But I do get your point.

From what I understand there are many over the counter medications that are on the banned list by the Olympic committee. So conseviably a person could take a cold medication and pop positive on their drug test. Ridiclous.

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I see your point, and I agree. Some of the rules by the Olympic committee are ridiculous. Like why would a 14 years old is allowed to compete in diving, while a 13 years old can't compete in gymnastic. But many people are saying rules are rules and you have to followed them.

My point is that the US Olympic committee did the same thing. The IOC did strip a Romain gymnast a gold metal in 2004 because she took some cold medication with substance on the banned list. The drug does not enhance her performance, but because of the rules, they took her gold away. Some of the US track and field athletes are guilty of the same thing, but they were allow to compete anyways. US Olympic committee knew about it, but instead following the rule, they actually took measures to cover it up. It is clearly not fair if other countries top athletes had to serve suspension while the American top athletes was allowed to compete.

Sometimes in China the stakes are even higher for the officials. A good run in the Olympics could promote that person in a "fat" position. ie, it does not wield much real power, but you could easily receive a lot of $ via "gifts". So if they think they can bend the rules without being caught, they definitely will.

Wasn't the East German story on CNN about shot put?....but meh....same result either way. So far China has lied more than 3 occassions, the fake girl singing, the computer generated footprint fireworks, and the 56 ethnic children which were all han-chinese. Now its this chinese gymnasts.

Other than the fact that they are all underage, has anyone noticed any irregularities in which the judges are giving the scores to all performing gymnasts? They tend to give the Chinese very high score when other countries are performing just as well, it seems alot of people are seeing this including many TV commentators and former olympians (reaction on TV).

It is suspect but I love how now all of the sudden the sterotype of Asians being short and small is like never heard of before and these women are being compared to American women? If the American team and the Chinese team magically switched places you know what the notorious suspects would say? "Why are those Chinese women so big and muscular? They must be taking steroids." Face it, the American women are unusually large compared to every other team.

And if Michaels Phelps was Chinese, you don't think someone would charge that illegal use of performance drugs was used? The critics have a lot of prejudice and somehow inexperienced little girls that beat experienced American woman is worse than Olympic swimmer Jessica Hardy being caught before going to Beijing? A story that buried in the US media. If it were the other way around, what conclusions would the critics make about the entire team as a whole? Maybe that's why the US women swimmers haven't lived up to predictions of winning gold.

In light of steroids scandals in the US over recent years, from the pros all the way down to a study that said that half of high school athletes admit to using performane-enhancing drugs but somehow Olympic athletes are innocent? What a hypocritical house of cards.


BTW, I love how some can pick and choose what information to believe when it all comes from the same source that's always suspect to the West.

Well AssassinsMace when you live in the US you get western news..FOX,ABC,NBC,CBS,CNN etc..etc..

The critics have a lot of prejudice and somehow inexperienced little girls that beat experienced American woman is worse than Olympic swimmer Jessica Hardy being caught before going to Beijing?

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I knew about Ms Hardy. She got caught. Good. Cheaters never prosper.

Did you read what I posted?? In case you did not;

You are correct..no defense!. Wrong is wrong no matter who did the deed.

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mods note>> I'm going to bow out of this discussion before it gets over heated.

bd popeye super moderator