Ethics Newsline®

News organizations and bloggers uncover documents they say show Chinese passports used as identification were fraudulent

BEIJING
The governing body of world gymnastics has asked for additional verification of the age of five gold-medal-winning Chinese gymnasts.

Late last week, the Times of London reported that the Chinese Gymnastics Association was asked to supply further evidence to prove the athletes’ birthdates after a U.S. computer expert said he unearthed online documents showing that two of the competitors were only 14.

Olympic rules introduced in 1997 stipulate that gymnasts must be at least 16.

Officials had accepted Chinese government passports as proof of age, reports the Voice of America.

The claims that at least some of the gymnasts are underage already had surfaced on several occasions, according to the Washington Post, with various investigations by news organizations and bloggers purporting to show a variety of birthdays for at least two of the girls.

CNN reports that in women’s gymnastics, younger teens can have an advantage over older competitors because of their smaller bodies and lighter frames.

The head coach of the Chinese gymnastics team says the athletes conform to all age regulations and blamed suspicion on the fact that Asians have different body types than Westerners, reports CNN.

Sources: Times of London, Aug. 22 — Washington Post, Aug. 22 — Voice of America, Aug. 22 — CNN, Aug. 22.

For more information, see: Related Newsline story, Aug. 11 — Related Newsline story, Aug. 11 — Related Newsline story, Aug. 11 — Related Newsline story, Aug. 4 — Related Newsline story, July 14.