Mr. Laz
04-28-2010, 03:19 PM
U.S. gymnastic team earns Olympic Bronze after Chinese gymnasts are stripped of medals (video)
April 28, 4:15 PMhttp://image.examiner.com/img/greydot.gifWomen's Sports Examiner (http://www.examiner.com/x-35933-Womens-Sports-Examiner)http://image.examiner.com/img/greydot.gifAstrid Bidanec
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The 2000 U.S. women's Olympic team
Photo courtesy of USA Gymnastics
The U.S. Oympic women's gymnastic team (http://www.usa-gymnastics.org/) was awarded the Bronze medal for the 2000 Olympics in Sydney after the International Olympic Committee (http://www.olympic.org/) stripped the Chinese team of the third place at a board meeting in Dubai on Wednesday due to having an underage athlete on the 2000 team.
“USA Gymnastics is grateful that the FIG and IOC took the time to thoroughly review and address this issue that was first raised at the Beijing Olympics,” said Steve Penny, president of USA Gymnastics. “Every athlete dreams about winning an Olympic medal. In 2000, our athletes and coaches worked tirelessly leading up to the Olympics and this recognition will certainly have great meaning."
The 14-year-old Dong Fangxiao from China was passed off as being 17 at the time of the 2000 Olympics, but later stated openly on her blog that she was born in the year of the ox which would be 1986. At the Bejing Games in 2008 her year of birth was suddenly 1986 again which clearly contradicted official documentation from 2000 and proved that her participation at the 2000 Olympics was clearly illegal.
Sine the U.S. team finished in fourth place in Sydney this Bronze medal is only ten years late which makes one wonder why the IOC failed to investigate the matter thoroughly on their own. Instead the International Gymnastics Federation looked into another case of possible age-misrepresentation by the Chinese government for the 14-year-old He Kexin who participated on the 2008 Olympic team and discovered evidence about Fangxiao's true biological age.
When the incriminating evidence was passed on to the IOC the only choice left for the organization was to strip the entire Chinese team off the Olympic medals for 2000 and give them to the next team in line, which was Team USA.
“Thanks to the due diligence of the IOC and FIG, the truth has been revealed, said Dominique Dawes, 1996 Olympic team gold medalist/2-time Olympic bronze medalist. " I could have never imagined receiving another medal after 10 years. Maybe this will inspire me to come back for a fourth Olympics. Oh wait, is there a maximum age?”
While this disciplinary action may be too little too late it remains to be seen how the IOC will handle any suspiciously young-looking Chinese team members in the future. Verifying their true biological age may require more than a fake passport and birth certificate at any future events.
The members of the 2000 U.S. Women’s Olympic Gymnastics Team are: Amy Chow, Jamie Dantzscher, Dominique Dawes, Kristin Maloney, Elise Ray and Tasha Schwikert, along with Morgan White, who was named to the team but was injured prior to the Games. Alyssa Beckerman was the alternate. Bela Karolyi was the national team coordinator, with Kelli Hill as head coach and Steve Rybacki as assistant coach.
was the national team coordinator, with Kelli Hill as head coach and Steve Rybacki as assistant coach.
Watch the underage Chinese gymnast perform at the 2000 Olympics in the video below:
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<embed class=" __noscriptOpaqued__" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/NNEYF0mG9is&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="405" width="500"></object>
Video of underage Chinese gymnast at 2000 OLympics
April 28, 4:15 PMhttp://image.examiner.com/img/greydot.gifWomen's Sports Examiner (http://www.examiner.com/x-35933-Womens-Sports-Examiner)http://image.examiner.com/img/greydot.gifAstrid Bidanec
Previous (http://www.examiner.com/x-35933-Womens-Sports-Examiner%7Ey2010m4d1-AOF-7-features-womens-MMA-on-Saturday)
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</td><td style="border: 0pt none ;" valign="top">
</td></tr></tbody></table></form>http://image3.examiner.com/images/blog/EXID35933/images/resized_2227.jpg
The 2000 U.S. women's Olympic team
Photo courtesy of USA Gymnastics
The U.S. Oympic women's gymnastic team (http://www.usa-gymnastics.org/) was awarded the Bronze medal for the 2000 Olympics in Sydney after the International Olympic Committee (http://www.olympic.org/) stripped the Chinese team of the third place at a board meeting in Dubai on Wednesday due to having an underage athlete on the 2000 team.
“USA Gymnastics is grateful that the FIG and IOC took the time to thoroughly review and address this issue that was first raised at the Beijing Olympics,” said Steve Penny, president of USA Gymnastics. “Every athlete dreams about winning an Olympic medal. In 2000, our athletes and coaches worked tirelessly leading up to the Olympics and this recognition will certainly have great meaning."
The 14-year-old Dong Fangxiao from China was passed off as being 17 at the time of the 2000 Olympics, but later stated openly on her blog that she was born in the year of the ox which would be 1986. At the Bejing Games in 2008 her year of birth was suddenly 1986 again which clearly contradicted official documentation from 2000 and proved that her participation at the 2000 Olympics was clearly illegal.
Sine the U.S. team finished in fourth place in Sydney this Bronze medal is only ten years late which makes one wonder why the IOC failed to investigate the matter thoroughly on their own. Instead the International Gymnastics Federation looked into another case of possible age-misrepresentation by the Chinese government for the 14-year-old He Kexin who participated on the 2008 Olympic team and discovered evidence about Fangxiao's true biological age.
When the incriminating evidence was passed on to the IOC the only choice left for the organization was to strip the entire Chinese team off the Olympic medals for 2000 and give them to the next team in line, which was Team USA.
“Thanks to the due diligence of the IOC and FIG, the truth has been revealed, said Dominique Dawes, 1996 Olympic team gold medalist/2-time Olympic bronze medalist. " I could have never imagined receiving another medal after 10 years. Maybe this will inspire me to come back for a fourth Olympics. Oh wait, is there a maximum age?”
While this disciplinary action may be too little too late it remains to be seen how the IOC will handle any suspiciously young-looking Chinese team members in the future. Verifying their true biological age may require more than a fake passport and birth certificate at any future events.
The members of the 2000 U.S. Women’s Olympic Gymnastics Team are: Amy Chow, Jamie Dantzscher, Dominique Dawes, Kristin Maloney, Elise Ray and Tasha Schwikert, along with Morgan White, who was named to the team but was injured prior to the Games. Alyssa Beckerman was the alternate. Bela Karolyi was the national team coordinator, with Kelli Hill as head coach and Steve Rybacki as assistant coach.
was the national team coordinator, with Kelli Hill as head coach and Steve Rybacki as assistant coach.
Watch the underage Chinese gymnast perform at the 2000 Olympics in the video below:
<object class=" __noscriptOpaqued__" height="405" width="500">
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Video of underage Chinese gymnast at 2000 OLympics