Opinionated News

Apparently there are rules about how old you have to be in order to qualify to compete in an Olympic gymnastic competition and it would appear to be a frequently flaunted one.  The Chinese have been called on it however and 3 of their women gymnasts are suspected of being under the official 16 years of age. 

Chinese authorities are reporting that the allegations are false and that their athletes can show official paperwork to clear their names.  Unfortunately this age thing has surfaced in numerous places in the past and the documentation that had been provided by the countries involved was later proved to be fake. 

I think it’s sad if these girls are under the legal competing age for the Olympics, not just because they will lose medals that they won for their expertise in their chosen sport, but also because of the shame it brings on the host nation, a shame that will forever shadow their chance to shine. 

For anyone whose interested the age rule was brought in because it was thought that girls younger than 16 could incur permanent physical injuries from the intense physical requirements competitive gymnastics at this level demands, and also because their bodies were younger and more supple, they would have an unfair advantage over the women who are of legal qualification age.