FIG bans North Korea gymnastic team from 2012 London Olympics
The International Gymnastic Federation (FIG) has announced that North Korean gymnasts will not participate at the 2012 London Olympics.
The decision comes as a result of a violation of official policy by North Korean gymnast Hong Su Jong.
Since 2003 to the present, Hong has used three different birth dates to register in international competitions.
The FIG affirmed the age falsification ban would be lifted on 5 October 2012.
The Federation began actively investigating Hong after she used a birth date of 1989 in last month's worlds. The date conflicted with a
1985 birth date she used to register in the 2004 Athens Olympics.
A distinguished gymnast, Hong won silver on the vault at the 2007 worlds, where she listed a third birth date, 1986, as her year of birth.
The 1989 date claimed last month, if true, would have made her too young and therefore ineligible to compete at the 2004 Games. Eligibility for gymnasts is 16.
In a statement, FIG said, “The FIG's decision is a clear signal to those who would wilfully disregard the current rules surrounding gymnast age. The health of its athletes and respect
for the law are among the International Gymnastics Federation's highest priorities."
In practice FIG mandates that gymnasts representing respective countries at international meets must provide licenses that prove age throughout the entirety of their careers.
Surprisingly, this is the second time North Korea has been reprimanded for providing false information in regards to birth dates They were banned from the 1993 world championships
when it was determined that Kim Gwang Suk, a 1991 gold medallist, was listed as age 15 three years in a row.
Along with the ban, the North Korean gymnast team and their representatives have been fined $20,800 dollars.
Hong was born in Hamgyong, North Korea. She participates out of the Pyongyang Sports Club.
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