How are the Gymnasts in events like uneven bars only 15?

Question

We keep hearing in the news that Gymnasts have to be 16, but while watching the uneven bars competition many were only 15. For example Yilin Yangl. Why is this ok in this event but not in others?

Answer 1

some of the girls are underage because in 2007 some newspappers reported one of the girls was the 13 year old prodigy and suddenly shes 16?

ah no.

she is underage!  

Answer 2

they can be 15 if by the end of 2008 they will have their 16th birthday. Meaning if they are 15 now...and have a b-day from now till dec. 31 they are good.

Answer 3

maybe it's different calander usage

east asians sometimes use the lunar calendar meaning being a 16 year old in north america would be the same as a 17 in east asia(south korea/japan/china)

but i'm not entirely sure

it's the olympics it's judged with the official olympic commiittee (IOC) not china so people that say china is cheating have no grounds for their arguments because china is just hosting not judging

Answer 4

they have to be turning 16 this year

Answer 5

they have to be 16 in the year of the olympics,ie if their birthday is in december and they turn 16 they are still allowed to be in the olympics but if they only just turned 15 this year then they arnt  

Answer 6

Well they have to turn 16 the YEAR of the olympics. So they could turn 16 later in the year