Are they old enough?
First there was the huge controversy over the age of the Chinese women gymnasts. Then the IOC & FIG cleared the Chinese. But the issue still simmers because many believe it was such a fake investigation. They didnt even make an effort to pass it off as a genuine one.
I DO NOT condone the fact that underage gymnasts be allowed to compete (and exploit the advantage their supple bodies give them). But I think the Chinese girls are in this mess because they 'look too young'. Fortunately or unfortunately, Asian gymnasts are naturally built small, unlike their American & European rivals. I feel age doesnt show easily with Asian genes. So, even if they were 16, as their official (doctored or not, who's to say) records show, they still face the brunt of suspicion that they could be 14.
Incidentally, Nadia Comaneci won her perfect scores when she was 14. Its only in 1997that they raised the eligible age for competition to 16.
While still on the topic of the permissible age to do stuff in this world, perhaps they should have age limits on entertainers. Hollywood has numerous examples of performers who are barely out of their tweens and yet pop up on the Internet & fashion magazine covers without much on (Miley Cyrus, Vanessa Hudgens).
I think they should also have a permissible age for writing autobiographies. I mean, they asked Harry Potter to write his autobiography. For God's sake, the kid hasnt even finished school. Oh BTW, the aforementioned 15-year-old Miley Cyrus will also be writing her autobiography. I guess, there is a readership for a few hundred odd pages of Barbies, homework, giggles, pimples and playground crushes.
I DO NOT condone the fact that underage gymnasts be allowed to compete (and exploit the advantage their supple bodies give them). But I think the Chinese girls are in this mess because they 'look too young'. Fortunately or unfortunately, Asian gymnasts are naturally built small, unlike their American & European rivals. I feel age doesnt show easily with Asian genes. So, even if they were 16, as their official (doctored or not, who's to say) records show, they still face the brunt of suspicion that they could be 14.
Incidentally, Nadia Comaneci won her perfect scores when she was 14. Its only in 1997that they raised the eligible age for competition to 16.
While still on the topic of the permissible age to do stuff in this world, perhaps they should have age limits on entertainers. Hollywood has numerous examples of performers who are barely out of their tweens and yet pop up on the Internet & fashion magazine covers without much on (Miley Cyrus, Vanessa Hudgens).
I think they should also have a permissible age for writing autobiographies. I mean, they asked Harry Potter to write his autobiography. For God's sake, the kid hasnt even finished school. Oh BTW, the aforementioned 15-year-old Miley Cyrus will also be writing her autobiography. I guess, there is a readership for a few hundred odd pages of Barbies, homework, giggles, pimples and playground crushes.
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