Olympics: Gymnastics

FOXNews.com - Report: Hacker Uncovers Proof Chinese Gymnast Is Underage - 2008 Summer Olympics:

"Even before anyone arrived in Beijing, American media investigations accused China of fielding three athletes below the 16-year-old minimum age threshold.
Bela Karolyi, the former U.S. head coach, then reheated the issue by claiming that China “are using half-people” and that their flouting of the regulations was so obvious that “these people think we are stupid.”"

and it goes on .... so the controversy was brought to the IOC's attention before the game even began -- that would mean that the Gold Medals would have nothing to do with it (although it certainly would make a huge difference).

Not only would it effect the individual medals but the team medal as well -- if one member of the team is disqualified then the whole team needs to be since they did not use an alternate .... just like they did with the medals in sports were doping was found.

"She may not look as if she has reached the minimum competing age of 16, but China said her passport, issued in February, gives her birthday as Jan. 1, 1992. The International Olympic Committee said proof from her passport is good enough."

It is interesting that her birthday should be Jan 1st --- not that there aren't people born that day, I mean I suppose it is as popular a birthdate as any other day, but its just interesting that that was the date used.

Actually this is very scary to think that a country would forge a document that is internationally recognized as a form of i.d. This opens up a whole slew of possibilities and national security questions.

perhaps passports for members need to be more than 6 months old .... maybe they need to be accompanied by some other documentation as well .... maybe the information of people should be recorded when they join a sport instead of just before the Olympics.

Although -- it is rather strange that she qualified for the team but there isn't any IOC events that list her age on them .... I would think she would have had to participated in some Olympic sanctioned events before the Olympics .... wouldn't you???