Bela Karolyi and the ages

BEIJING -- Bela Karolyi is doing NBC television commentary for gymnastics, and even as he cheered on the U.S. women from his perch just above where the balance beam is located at the National Indoor Stadium, he also kept simmering over what he believes is China's "blatant" flouting of the sport's age rules.

According to the international federation rules, Olympic and world championship competitors must turn 16 during the year they participate. The two Chinese women who have qualified for the individual all-around  -- Yang Yilin and Jiang Yuyuan -- were named in several news reports as having birth dates on provincial registration lists in 1993 and 1994, respectively. According to passport information submitted to become Olympics eligible, they are now 16.

After China outscored the U.S. in team qualifications, Karolyi said the Chinese team is using "half-people" and that China is arrogant. "These people think we are stupid," Karolyi said. International federation officials have reiterated over the last two weeks that it is not their job to investigate "Internet" reports or challenge the passport information submitted by a federation.

"We are in the business of gymnastics," Karolyi said. "We know what a kid of 14 or 15 or 16 looks like. What kind of slap in the face is this? They are 12, 14 years old and they get lined up and the government backs them and the federation runs away. There is an age limit and it can't be controlled."

-- Diane Pucin

Photo: China's Jiang Yuyuan, who is listed as 16, is competing in the individual all-around gymnastics competition. Credit: Jed Jacobsohn /Getty Images

Comments

[Stephen]

"Posted by: JC | August 18, 2008 at 10:55 PM

Some people mentioned that the former Chinese athlete Yang Yun said she was 14 when she attened the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. Please note there was not such kind of age limit at that time, so the age of 14 was just OK."

Check your facts before you spew crap like this.

The age regulation was introduced in 1997. So 14 was NOT OK in 2000.

[chen88]

The west will always find ways to bash china as long as the communist party is in power.

now, in response to Zoe Ann Ludlum' comment, the Chinese girl won the bronze because her average score of 2 vaults was higher than that of the american girl. There is a deduction of 0.8 point for each fall and this rule applies to EVERYONE. So, I fail to see how favourism came in to play in this "incident".

[Linton]

@ Zoe Ann

The government does not take children away from their parents with the intent to groom three year olds for the Olympics. China doesn't have the brutal, totalitarian government you'd think it has. Rather, parents may choose to send their children to pursue a path in gymnastics in hopes that their children will live a better life.

And in regard to the argument on how gymnasts are more competitive at a younger age, I don't think it's necessarily the case. In the '96 Olympics, Lilia Podkopayeva (UKR, 18), Simona Amânar (ROM, 17), Lavinia Milosovici (ROM, 20), and Gina Gogean (ROM, 18) were all medalists in the women's all-around individual. This was a time when the age limit was set at 15. There were no 15, 16 year olds medaling in the all-around. I feel that both maturity and experience contributes to success just as much as a lithe, flexible body would.

[truthteller]

bottom line is......china paid the IOC for these olympics. So when questionable things appear in the media, do you really expect he IOC to bite the hand that feeds? Lets face it, china paid a lot of money to convince the world they are not oppressive and that we should all buy chinese made products, so quit judging them and get used to their superiority in this world.