Chinese gymnasts

Yeah ... no one would be saying a word.

Gold medals: Awarded on Aug. 14.
NY Times' initial story: July 27 (excerpt: "If it is true that under-age gymnasts are competing, Kim said: “It’s a bad thing. It should not be acceptable.”)

Listen, spnited, you're basically telling people WHY they're thinking the way they are. I don't care if the Chinese won gold medals over the Americans ... and, you're right, I won't care about gymnastics a month from now. Hell, I don't give a rat's ass now.

What do I care about? The fact the Chinese government FORGED passports so underage girls could compete. The host country of the Olympics took a vow during that opening ceremony about sportsmanship, and then it intentionally cheated and tried covering it up every way possible.

There's no arguing it became a bigger story because of the gold medal, but it would be making headlines, regardless --- even if the Americans finished last.

 

The federation's investigation --- the one it never wanted in the first place --- has been expanded to include the Chinese gymnasts at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.
<blockquote>International gymnastics officials are examining whether Yang Yun and Dong Fangxiao, in particular, were old enough to compete at the Sydney Olympics. Gymnasts must turn 16 during the Olympic year. ...

Yang's birthdate is listed as Dec. 2, 1984, which would have made her eligible for Sydney because she would turn 16 during 2000. But Yang, who also won a bronze medal on uneven bars, said in a June 2007 interview that aired on state broadcaster China Central Television that she was 14 at the Olympics.

Dong's birthdate is listed as Jan. 20, 1983, making her 17 at the time of the Sydney Games. Her blog, however, includes a reference to being born in 1985.</blockquote>
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080924/ap_on_sp_ol/oly_gym_underage_chinese_9