International Gymnastics President Bruno Grandi likes the current (unenforceable) minimum age requirement for international gymnasts.
Here’s his “solution” to the problem of some nations falsifying birthdates:
Beginning Jan. 1, all junior and senior gymnasts who represent their countries at most international meets will need a license from the International Gymnastics Federation. The licenses will include gymnasts’ name, sex, country and date of birth, and be their proof of age for their entire career. …
The critical paragraph, however, is this one:
… Although the licenses won’t stop the sport’s problem of age manipulation – licenses will be based on passports submitted by national federations – it will give the FIG proof of an athlete’s age long before he or she shows up at an Olympics or world championships. …
Herald Tribune
Now China, North Korea and other nations need only falsify the documentation once with all up-and-coming young gymnasts. They need not worry about being caught later with evidence of conflicting birth years.
It’s obvious to many that the age requirement should be dropped. Dominique Dawes agrees:
… Honestly, for the sport of gymnastics, there should not be an age limit. …
Former Olympian Dawes speaks on life’s passions – collegiatetimes.com
And Dominique is one of the gymnasts who lost a medal at the 2000 Olympics to a Chinese team that included underage girls. No word yet from FIG on the investigation into the ages of Yang Yun and Dong Fangxiao at the 2000 Olympics. (FIG has been too busy working on the “license” regulation.)
related posts on age falsification of gymnasts
Gymnastics Coaching.com 