Posted on 08/12/2008 10:27:16 PM PDT by I still care
And just why should we believe a Chinese citizen who signed up just two days ago.
In fact, I'd be surprised if the Chinese government doesn't block Free Republic.
the Chinese lied about the girl singing at the opening ceremonies and the fireworks. Does any reasonable person believe they wouldn't lie about the age of their gymnasts?
Three of the girls have competed in the last two years with stated ages of 12 or 13.
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/olympics/2008-05/23/content_6707927.htm
"Olympic gymnastics title contenders suddenly have one more thing to worry about other than the eight gold medals China claimed at the Tianjin World Cup last week. Her name is He Kexin.
The 14-year-old newcomer to the national team, who was recruited last year, has raised a lot of eyebrows recently after she broke two world records on the uneven bars in as many months. She will be just one more weapon on an already star-studded Chinese Olympic squad."
This is from May 5, 2008.
I have no fight with the Chinese as a people, and I understand your desire to stand up for China.
It is the Communists in China that I don't trust, and a recent history in sports competition that says the rulers care only for their own glory. They care more about themselves than they care about China or its people.
“The age used to be 14 but it seems a lot of the girls were ending up abused - there was a lot of talk about how their joints were not ready for that kind on impact and also they were on special diets.”
well...it depends on the country.
I do think things were much harsher 20,25 years ago.
We also did not know as much about nutrition, diet, and strength programs back then, so coaches had a tendency to yell “lose 10 pounds!” to the girls, when most of their weight was coming from muscle.
If the age were lowered back to 14 I don’t think it would lead to more “abuse” because we have learned so much more about all that.
Besides - the girls are still competing at the elite level at 13 and 14 - they just aren’t going to the olympics (unless they’re chinese)
It is a good point about the joints, but the equipment and training has changed so that the kids are learning more difficult moves at younger ages than they did 20 years ago - but they’re learning them on tumble-traks and then spring loaded floors and even springier beams.
The design of the new vault is supposed to be easier on the wrists.
So - changing the olympic age hasn’t had any impact at all on what skills the girls are working on every day in practice.
” One of the commentators said something about the girls being taken from their parents when they were 3, and not allowed to see them except perhaps once a year.”
Yes - we’ve known this for awhile about the Chinese, and that is how communist countries have operated for a long time. When russia dominated gymnastics they ran a similar program.
Bela Karoyli trained Nadia under a similar program.
“And the commentators wax eloquent at how talented they are. Frankly, now when I look at them I want to cry. I think they are abused. It’s sad our commentators can’t or won’t mention it.”
I’m surprised there are enough female children left in China to fuel a gymnastics program.
The baby girls are often abandoned to orphanages or aborted so the parents can “try again” for a boy.
What I find amusing about this situation is how everyone seems afraid to take on the chinese.
How many athletes from how many different countries have been told they cannot compete because they took the wrong kind of cough medicine? or antihistamine?
BAM! They’re outa there!
But China? They showed up in Athens with underage girls.
And these aren’t even borderline kids. They aren’t 15, they aren’t even 14. 13? doubt it. 12? maybe.
So you get tiny 11, 12 year olds who don’t have to break their body line between the bars and work them to death on the most difficult event -bars.
You make them respectable on the other three events (but I found that first chinese floor routine to be a joke).
So - at least 2 olympics now China has blatantly cheated in gymnastics - but we’re going to harass other athletes about allergy medicine.
“Three of the girls have competed in the last two years with stated ages of 12 or 13.”
good catch.
Wonder if the media will bother.
“When she was 7 she had a coach who told me they were fast-tracking her to the highest skills as quickly as possible because once some girls get to about 12-13 their fears can overcome their drive and motivation.”
For most kids that is very true.
If they haven’t learned the most difficult skills prior to puberty - at least on the tumble-trak or into a pit - it is more likely they will never learn them to the point where they can compete with those skills.
Here’s another troll for ya. These pr!cks are out in full force today.
“The International Gymnastics Federation is an absolute joke by letting this farce go down simply because it was Chinas home games”
They let it happen in Athens too.
” By bringing out the 14 and younger ones to compete, this means that it greatly increases the odds the girls will be able to compete in peak form for 1 - 2 more olympics.”
Hard to tell.
Did any of their underage girls from Athens return for these olympics?
My guess is they’ll be burned out before London.
They can’t delay puberty forever - and then there will be a new crop of 10 year olds to throw up on the bars.
The maturation process of the female body does not know geography -- those girls do not possess the hips of a 14-year-old, breast development notwithstanding. You look at enough bodies over the years, you can tell.
“Have you been to China?How many Chinese girls have you seen?Chinese girls look younger than white girls,you know?”
I’ve seen plenty of chinese girls who’ve been adopted by americans.
The Chinese government isn’t known for caring too much about their little females.
You aren’t talking to a bunch of morons here.
I don't know that it is testosterone but the lack of progesterone ... that was the difference between Nadia in '76 and Nadia in '80 -- she had developed too much of a woman's figure to be able to perform the same stunts to the same degree of perfection, (according to the O-judging standards).
Can’t really go by the looks. Everything puberty does to a girl is considered “bad” from a gymnastic perspective, so any successful female gymnast will look young. It’s one of the many reasons I don’t like the sport.
They normally come in at age 11-12. No way that girl is 16.
Indeed. Ellen was hobbled by Osgood-Schlatter disease in both knees when she was 9, so her training slowed a little because of swelling and pain. At first she pushed the pain aside in her motivation, but ultimately, as she got older, the fears got to her. She regrets leaving it, but couldn’t push past the “what ifs”.
“I don’t know that it is testosterone but the lack of progesterone”
I do remember rumours years ago about using drugs that could delay the onset of puberty.
That would make more sense in the sport of gymnastics than giving testosterone.
“that was the difference between Nadia in ‘76 and Nadia in ‘80 — she had developed too much of a woman’s figure to be able to perform the same stunts to the same degree of perfection, (according to the O-judging standards).”
Yes - and I remember reading an article about how mature hips place a dangerous torque on a gymnasts knees - especially when she’s performing twisting skills on floor.
That’s why you’ll so many college gymnasts blow their acl on double twists even if they’ve been performing them since they were 10.
“Indeed. Ellen was hobbled by Osgood-Schlatter disease in both knees when she was 9, so her training slowed a little because of swelling and pain.”
I had that exact same problem.
I am 40 now and still remember that knee pain like it was yesterday.
“She regrets leaving it, but couldn’t push past the “what ifs”.”
And most girls in the sport leave it feeling the exact same way.
It is the rare bird who goes on to perform these skills without worrying about landing on their head.
Jiang Yuyuan's age is disputed. Her 2008 passport and Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique profile give a November 1, 1991 date of birth, which would make her age during the 2008 Olympic Opening Ceremonies as 16 years, 10 months old and therefore old enough to compete at the Olympics and old enough to have competed legitimately at the 2007 Worlds under the pre-Olympic-year age-exemption. However, other official documents within China, including a list of junior competitors in Zhejiang Province linked to Jiang's national identification card, indicate that her date of birth is October 1, 1993, which would make her age during the Opening Ceremonies as 14 years, 11 months old. In this case, she would not be old enough to compete at the Olympics and also not having been eligible for the age-exemption she received to the 2007 Worlds. However, on August 2, the IOC stated that they would not investigate the discrepancy in Jiang's reported age, stating that it was a matter within FIG jurisdiction.
Deng Linlin's officially listed birth date is April 21, 1992, although it is listed as May 22, 1993 elsewhere.
He Kexin's 2008 passport and the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique list her date of birth as January 1, 1992, which would make her 16 years, 220 days old during the 2008 Olympic opening ceremonies and therefore old enough to compete. However, her age as of 2008 has been reported by the Chinese press as 14, and her birthdate has been given by the Chengdu Sports Bureau and other registration sources as January 1, 1994, which would make her 14 years, 220 days old during the Opening ceremonies, and therefore too young to participate in the 2008 Summer Olympics. In addition, in a November 2007 speech in Wuhan, Chinese sporting official Liu Peng introduced He as a 13-year-old. However, on August 2 the IOC stated that they would not be investigating the discrepancy in He's age, stating that it was a matter within FIG jurisdiction.
Ah, I see now ... and yes, that does make sense, especially in light of, as you say, the difficulties the more mature bodies/bones place on the athlete when performing the very same exercises. Thanks.
I don’t know if any such drug actually exists.
Like I said - there were rumours, but as far as I know no one actually got caught using such a drug.
And in a communist country it’s is simply easier to lie about the girls’ ages.
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