What punishments will the Olympic committee give if they found out the Chinese Gymnast athletes are under age?

Question

@Aday: the rules states you HAVE to be 16 or older. Younger kids have more advantage still they are more limber than older ones.

Answer 1

This would seriously suffer the credibility of the Olympics, IOC, the gymnastics federation and the gymnasts if they do not clear this controversy. Other countries will start using underage girls and falsify documents. I really hope they would investigate this after the Olympics.

Answer 2

None. It's up to the Gymnastics Federation to manage their sport. The IOC puts on the game, it is not involved in establishing the rules or eligibility of the athletes.

The IOC had nothing to say about this from the beginning. And since gymnastics is such a popular event nothing will happen.

Answer 3

Its hard to trace. They've already faked the passports that they used as proof of age. One girl in gymnastics looked about 10 yrs old.The value of the medals has lost its honor, with the cheating by the chinese. Then there was the strange way they broke the tie, between gymnists. USA should've won by a mile. China's girl took an extra step on her landing and they gave her the gold.

Answer 4

Without being a forensic pathologist...I don't think you'll ever find out the true age, and even then your margin of error is a couple years.  Without a precise test, you'll have to take china on its word.

Answer 5

so basically the USA or any team can bring 12 year olds to the 2012 olympics and know they can get away with it...what a great example that being portrayed in these olympics

CONGRATS CHINA

Answer 6

Duuuuuuuude, does it matter if they're younger...the fact that the chinese gymnasts were "younger" and beat them just say's that America sucks more.

  They'll probably take their medals away, but who cares if they lied...

Answer 7

They will be stripped of their medals

Answer 8

Shouldn't punish the athletes because someone else screwed up.

Similar to the judging cheating scandal in the previous winter games where the Russian figure skating pair unfairly received gold... ended up that both Russia and Canada teams got golds.

Paul Hamn got to keep the gold medal because the scorekeeper screwed up.  

Who is going to prove the Chinese gymnasts are not 16 years old? This is impossible because the only proof is in the documents.  No one in China will speak out and attest the underage thing because they wil disappear into the mountains forever.  The Chinese are a nation of face saving people so they will not admit to wrongdoing.

Maybe the IOC or the Gymnastic federation should remove the age limit because the gymnasts' shelf lives are so short.  What if you are 15 and can't compete this year? You have to wait 4 more years which puts you at 19 years old. Your olympic career is basically over by then. Look at Alicia Sacramone... she is 20 and the rest of her team calls her "mom".  Proof was in her poor performance as well.

Answer 9

They would probably strip them of their medals. Contrary to apparently popular belief in the Western world, the Chinese are not unreasonable people. If someone cheated, then they don't deserve the reward.

To address what a lot of others have said here: I think Western media is just making a big fuss of things. If those were American athletes that looked young, they wouldn't be talking, and the Chinese wouldn't blink. I think they, being the Western media (not necessarily Western people), are very jealous of the Chinese success at this Olympics. They are unquestionably finding fault in nothing and creating trouble for their new rival nation. As an Asian American myself, I have found that many Westerners are completely incompetent at judging the age of Asians. We are naturally more younger-looking in many cases and calling Chinese gymnasts young is just plain RACIST. That's just the way we are, and we should be treated equally. I guess the Western world has traditionally viewed racism in terms of color of skin, but this new racism against aging, personality, and culture is completely unacceptable. Western media keeps finding "evidence" that Chinese gymnasts are underage, scoring is biased, and so on. Of course the Chinese government is going to censor this. It's not insecurity. We no less secure than the Western world and to think of us as such would only demonstrate your insecurity. The Western media did not criticize Greece nearly as much. Shame on those of you who judge the Chinese by these racist criteria. This is against everything America stands for, and I cannot imagine how you can still call yourselves my fellow Americans.

I am American and utterly outraged by the Western media's racism against the Chinese gymnasts. You will likely not choose this as the best answer and I will probably get many thumbs-downs. You will probably call me un-American, politically incorrect, spreading Chinese propaganda, or some of the other ridiculous things I've seen. You will also make claims that you are not racist and so on and you would be an idiot to kid yourself like that. I am sorry that I had to go on such a rant, but this is the suppressed voice within almost every Chinese right now, and it must be heard. The Chinese people are proud of China, and if you don't like our way of doing things, most unfortunate. Who said Everyone has to abide by Western standards? You're just going to have to accept the apparently "ugly" truth that you are racist. It will make you feel uncomfortable, but in the long run, it will hopefully lead to at least a remote degree of understanding that does not seem to exist today.

Answer 10

well, if they're going to do something, it's going to have to be quick. once the olympics are over, the results are finalised. that means no one can be stripped of any medals. i don't know if they have a special case for underaged competetors, but i think it's the same policy, the olympics are done, results are finalised.

Answer 11

Once again people think its hate and jealousy here, well it's not it's the simple idea of fair play. And were do people get of saying if it was America with the young gymnast that it wouldn't be brought up? Sure it would, I would at least hope so. and back to the (oh the Americans are just jealous). What do we have to be jealous of? Tell me please... cuz from what I see we are way out in front. As for you so called American patriots, I don't think you know the meaning of patriotism, I'm a veteran, and a very committed patriot. It's just the big thing here is we all have to follow the same rules in these games.

Answer 12

They wont do anything, And haven't you people figured it out yet that the olympics in china is nothing but chinese propaganda on how better they are than the western free world, and how they can beat the system!!!

Answer 13

strip them of their medals, including the team medals.  

Answer 14

none

you only ask this stupid question to provoke answers form patriotic Americans who feel like they got ripped off in the gymnastics

Get over it you pathetic morons

thumbs down, reports, I don't care because i don't lie!

Answer 15

Asian do actually look younger.  I am mistaken for high school kids even when I am in my 20's.  I am short and petite 4'11" 95 lbs.  

To answer your question,  I think they will take away the medal.  But if the kids are really underage, they already have a fake passport with fake age.

I think older means more experience.  Some older athletic in their 30's actually do pretty good.

Actually some girls do look over 16 in my asian point of view.  But there is a very small tiny one, I think she doesn't look over  12 and still have a child's body (most girls have curve even though they are slim).  

Answer 16

Ha. Ha. Ha.  Punishment - if they need a scapegoat then maybe, otherwise it will be washed under the carpet with the egg fu yung.

Answer 17

I wonder how the world would have reacted if the UNITED STATES would have entered underage gymnasts in the Olympics.  There would have been an investigation immediately and the team disqualified.