[Little Pig]

Also, and this is based on my admittedly-minimal research, the huge total of Golds for the Chinese is due in part to their entering athletes in venues where the US is not competing, or the sport is highly obscure and not likely to attract attention. It’s easy to beat your next best competitor when they’re from some third-world banana republic.

I wouldn’t be surprised at all to learn that in cases where the Chinese have gone up against the US in less-publicized sports, the judges have been “encouraged” to favor the Chinese, particularly in those sports where the results depend on the opinion of the judges rather than an obvious demarcation.

[Dianna]

The Chinese have deliberately cultivated athletes for each event, specifically for these games. They looked at where they were weak or nonexistent last time and beefed up their programs to look good at home.

Aside from it being decided and manipulated by the government, it isn't a bad strategy.

[I still care]

I noticed they have a lot of medals in weightlifting.

I remember the East Germans, how they had official doping programs. Because it was all done with government backing, they got away with it. Now, of course, all those women treated with hormones are sick and dying.

I look at the little Chinese girls in the gymnastics and think the same thing. Most of them look half starved. Remember they were all taken away from their parents and raised by the state. And I DO believe they are too young.

Back to the weightlifting. I’m wondering if they have been on a nice program, similar to the East Germans...

[I still care]

Well, well. I was looking for an article on the East German doping scandals, and found this little tidbit:

“During the 1970s and ‘80s, East Germany’s huge doping program produced legions of highly successful, but oddly mannish female swimmers and track stars. In 1976, the year the Olympics started drug testing, East Germany bagged 11 of 13 women’s swimming medals.”

“After the Berlin Wall fell, some East German sports doctors moved to China. In the 1994 Rome Olympics, Chinese women swimmers accepted 12 gold medals at ceremonies while onlookers protested by waving syringes. Twenty seven Chinese women have flunked drug tests since 1990, more than the total from all other nations.”

[reformed_dem]

I wouldn’t be surprised at all to learn that in cases where the Chinese have gone up against the US in less-publicized sports, the judges have been “encouraged” to favor the Chinese, particularly in those sports where the results depend on the opinion of the judges rather than an obvious demarcation.

I personally believe that was done in diving and gymnastics. The Chinese were scored higher and didn't seem to get the same deduction others got. They were very good in diving, but I do believe they were overscored. In women's all-around gymnastics, they were overscored too, but even with that edge, the US took gold and silver.