SportsViews

The 2008 Summer Olympics may be just a distant memory for many now that autumn has officially begun, but that doesn’t mean that the heated debate surrounding the women’s gymnastics team from China has cooled at all. The investigation into the ages of Chinese gymnasts in the games that took place this year continues to deepen, and now the research and investigation also include the 2000 team in Sydney.

Said a spokesperson for the International Gymnastics Federation:

(source)“If we had a look at all the articles that came before, during and after the games, there were always rumors about the ages of China’s athletes in Sydney,” Andre Gueisbuhler, secretary general of the International Gymnastics Federation, told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

“We did not have another choice,” he said. “If we want to remain credible, then we have to look into things.”

Yang’s birthdate is listed as Dec. 2, 1984, which would have made her eligible for Sydney because she would turn 16 during 2000. But Yang, who also won a bronze medal on uneven bars, said in a June 2007 interview that aired on state broadcaster China Central Television that she was 14 at the Olympics.

Dong’s birthdate is listed as Jan. 20, 1983, making her 17 at the time of the Sydney Games. Her blog, however, includes a reference to being born in 1985.

Ultimately, while the Chinese officials did turn over information to verify the age of the Olympic team members, and while those documents were verified, there is too much speculation about their ages for a search not to be conducted. If the athletes were not eligible to compete, medals will be redistributed and there will be other effects as well.

Should the athletes be penalized for something that their country did (or maybe the better question is, how were these girls and their parents supposed to counter their nation’s government about the rules)? Share your thoughts below or join the community at Sportsviews.com to make yourself heard.

In some games at the recent Olympics, particularly in Track and Field events, there were some big upsets - and fan reactions - when the winners were announced. Take the mens 200m. While there is not doubt at all that Usain Bolt (Jamaica) was the winner and new record holder, the rest of the field got a bit interesting.

Technically, Churandy Martina finished in second place and should have received the silver medal however he was disqualified for having run outside of his lane. Likewise, the US runner Wallace Spearmon was disqualified and, as a result the silver and bronze went to Shawn Crawford and Walter Dix respectively.

Earlier this month, however, the Olympic committee for the Netherlands has appealed the ruling against Martina and has requested that the CAS doesn’t just overturn the disqualification, but also that they invalidate the procedure that the IAAF Jury used to disqualify him.

Personally, I’m not as familiar with the race now as I was when the games were going on, however, given that the statement made by the CAS states that the US Olympic Committee and USA Track and Field are asking to participate in the arbitration procedure, it does leave me wondering whether or not the decision will be revoked, and, if so, how the matter will be resolved.

Just a few short weeks ago, it seemed as if everyone you talked with had stayed up late the night before and were running on the adrenaline of another Michael Phelps swim to victory. There were the beach volleyball games, gymnastics events for the men and women, kayaking, cycling, track and field - and all of the games drew people in. There was a statistic on the news that said something like 2 out of every 3 people watched the Olympic Games at one point or another.

But how long will the interest in Olympic Sports last?

Sure, it’s likely that once the NBA season starts up again we’ll all go back to talking about the members of the so-called Redeem Team. It’s possible that many people will continue to watch those gymnastics competitions that are televised. But what about swimming? What about track and field? What about - for that matter - water polo or badminton?

During the off seasons for most sports, there’s still a lot to be talked about, but despite the fact that more often than not, the sports of the Olympics go on each year, few people are truly committed to watching the competitions - and that’s a big part of why it’s important to connect with others who love the Olympics as much as you do.