From FIG by email:
In the context of the disciplinary proceedings involving Chinese gymnasts Yang Yun and Dong Fangxiao, suspected of having violated minimum age requirements for participation in the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, the FIG Disciplinary Commission invited the two athletes to appear with representatives from the Chinese Gymnastic Association at a hearing held at FIG headquarters, December 19 – 20, 2009.
Note that a legal statement issued by the CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport) confirmed the FIG as the authority competent to conduct a full investigation; it fell to the Federation to examine the case and draw its own conclusions as to whether or not the age limit was violated and which subsequent sanctions will be issued.
After an extensive interview with the two parties and witnesses present, the Disciplinary Commission, composed of Mr Rached Gharbi (TUN), President, Ms Margarida Dias Ferreira (POR) and Marc Schoenmaekers (BEL), will submit its recommendations to the FIG Authorities. A decision will be brought at the next Executive Committee meeting, scheduled for February 26, 2010 in Lausanne (SUI).
AP Photo by AMY SANCETTA
So, FIG has final authority to make a decision. And will make a decision. Congratulations.
The girls are 10yrs older. But I’m pleased to see a ruling will be made one way or the other, rather than sweep the touchy issue under the rug.
If you read this blog regularly, you know I’m convinced that Dong Fangxiao and Yang Yun were both underage at the 2000 Olympics.
7 comments ↓
i can’t tell if your “congratulations” is sarcastic or not
1. would love to see the actual document that suggests that FIG is the (my words) “arbiter of sanctions”….i’m confident that there is NO WAY that however guilty, that FIG can alter OG results
2. i’m confident that “we all know” that this is some silly/superfluous “dog and pony show” that will result in everyone agreeing that
“i’m shocked, shocked, that there is gambling going on in this place”
but doesn’t, in the long run, make a damned bit of difference…..
3. Rick, you and i are in this for the long run….bet you $50 (US/Canadian, doens’t matter) that in 2018, there will be a rerun of this whole lame thing and that FIG will suggest that the (underage) gymnasts of Beijing (2008) was an unfortunate occurance which due to “controls we’v e established won’t happen again…”
4. the biggest joke of all this, is that FIG is happy (not necessarily eager) to hammer gymnasts from, say, Vietnam, but there is no way in hell that they’ll come down hard on the “biggies”………..China, USA, Russia, et.al…….not saying any of the “biggies” have done anything against the rules (:->), but double-standard?
duh
5. no doubt there are innocents among us who think that this whole thing is going to play out fairly……….ask yourselves, where the hell was the FIG in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009…..
6. Bruno Grandi comes up for re-election (again) in 31 months…….”just sayin”
Dunno, Jim.
I have a feeling THIS time that China will be found GUILTY.
IOC will decide on the medals. But FIG will impose some sort of sanction on the Olympic Champions. Likely it will fall short of banning them from London, however.
Sooner or later information will come out proving He Kexin was underage too. And a repeat will be inevitable. Perhaps it will be in her tell all memoir.
wrist slap, my friend…..
of course, we’ll see
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