Slog - Comments on Hacker Provokes a New Investigation Into the Age of Chinese Gymnasts

Comment by nihao

nihao — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 11:01:07 -0800

either way it doesn't matter what they found on the internet. the chinese govt can falsify passports and birth certificates in two hours and the i.o.c. won't accept anything but "official" govt documentation.

it would be sort of nice is something really embarrassing happened to china during the games though

Comment by MK

MK — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 11:09:48 -0800

Beth Tweddle has the best and most British name I have ever heard. She sounds like she belongs in a Roald Dahl book.

Comment by Original Monique

Original Monique — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 11:20:17 -0800

Annie:

If they are found to be underage, would that disqualify them from the team gold medal they have? How would that work?

Comment by Will in Seattle

Will in Seattle — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 11:23:32 -0800

Thank god for the Internet and it's wonderful tubes!

As to the age thing, yes that would result in them being stripped of their medals and the next finishers being recorded as having won.

Comment by Greg

Greg — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 11:32:16 -0800

On the one hand it sucks, because those girls worked really hard and gave amazing performances. On the other hand, swimmers have to pee into a cup as soon as they finish a race. The take-home lesson is, if you don't follow the rules, you should expect to be disqualified.

Comment by SM

SM — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 12:19:09 -0800

The Chinese government has the PR problem where they, like, lie all the time. It's a cultural defect. They lie about melamine, gymnast ages, lead content, phthalate content. They have to hire Westerners to do building site inspections because Chinese ones will lie in order for everyone to "save face" about problems. China and lying are synonymous. They need to wise up and realize that they're losing more face by lying all the time than they would be if they just sucked it up and told the truth once in a while.

Comment by Fnarf

Fnarf — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 13:25:17 -0800

Everytime I see He Kexin's name in print, I hear "Take A Walk On The Wild Side", and the words "He was a she", in my head. Yes, I am a retard, thank you very much.

Comment by Greg

Greg — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 13:29:22 -0800

@7: It's okay. It hardly shows.

Comment by Nay

Nay — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 16:16:58 -0800

Aww Fnarf, that just makes me like you more. :D