Probe into skaters' ages
Source: Agencies |
February 16, 2011, Wednesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
China is facing questions about the ages of some of its athletes after discrepancies were found in the birth dates of eight figure skaters.
According to the dates listed on the Chinese Skating Association's website, the skaters broke the sport's age limits by competing when they were either too young or too old.
The dates on the website differed from those listed on the athletes' International Skating Union biographies.
Among the skaters whose eligibility is in question are Zhang Dan and Zhang Hao, the 2006 Olympic pairs silver medalists, and Sui Wenjing and Han Cong, the reigning junior world champions and China's top up-and-coming pairs team.
According to ISU rules, skaters must be 15 by the preceding July 1 to compete at an Olympics or senior world championship event, and 14 for other senior-level international competitions, such as the Grand Prix final. Junior skaters must be at least 13 the previous July 1 and under 19 (singles) or 21 (pairs and ice dancers).
According to the association website, Zhang Dan was born on October 4, 1987, meaning she would have been just 14 when she and Zhang Hao competed at the 2002 Olympics and world championships. They were 11th in Salt Lake City and ninth at the worlds. Zhang Hao, meanwhile, was born on February 6, 1982, according to his birth date on the website. That would have made him too old to compete at the 2003 junior world championships, which the pair won.
They went on to win the silver medal at the Turin Games and silvers at the 2006, 2008 and 2009 world championships.
The ISU is aware of the discrepancies and has asked the Chinese federation for more information, said ISU spokeswoman Selina Vanier.
Aware of discrepancies
"At the moment, we have no comment because we're trying to find out where those lists are, who created them, etc," Vanier said.
Yang Dong, director of the figure skating department of China's Winter Sports Administrative Center, told Xinhua news agency that he was aware of the allegations. "We'll spare no efforts on probing it," he was quoted as saying.
The list on the Chinese association's website had disappeared by yesterday.
Jacques Rogge, president of the International Olympic Committee, said he was to ask his staff about the matter.
Sui and Han are considered to be the heirs apparent to Olympic gold medalists Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo, winning the junior world title last year and taking medals at all of their senior Grand Prix events this year, including the bronze at the Grand Prix final.
According to the list of birth dates on the website, however, Sui and Han should not have been competing at those events and are also ineligible for this year's junior world championships, which begin on February 28 in South Korea.
Sui was born on May 7, 1997, according to the website, making her just 13. That would mean she was too young for both last year's junior world championships, where she and Han came first, and this year's senior Grand Prix series. Han, meanwhile, had a March 1989 birthday on the association's list, making him 21.
Yu Xiaoyu and Yang Jin, the other Chinese pair entered for the junior world championships, might not be eligible, either. Yu was born on January 2, 1998, according to the website, making her 12 on the July 1 cutoff for this season. Yet she and Yang competed on the junior Grand Prix circuit, winning in Ostrava and taking home bronze medals from Graz and the junior Grand Prix final.
Age limits were imposed in 1996 to protect young skaters from serious injury.
According to the dates listed on the Chinese Skating Association's website, the skaters broke the sport's age limits by competing when they were either too young or too old.
The dates on the website differed from those listed on the athletes' International Skating Union biographies.
Among the skaters whose eligibility is in question are Zhang Dan and Zhang Hao, the 2006 Olympic pairs silver medalists, and Sui Wenjing and Han Cong, the reigning junior world champions and China's top up-and-coming pairs team.
According to ISU rules, skaters must be 15 by the preceding July 1 to compete at an Olympics or senior world championship event, and 14 for other senior-level international competitions, such as the Grand Prix final. Junior skaters must be at least 13 the previous July 1 and under 19 (singles) or 21 (pairs and ice dancers).
According to the association website, Zhang Dan was born on October 4, 1987, meaning she would have been just 14 when she and Zhang Hao competed at the 2002 Olympics and world championships. They were 11th in Salt Lake City and ninth at the worlds. Zhang Hao, meanwhile, was born on February 6, 1982, according to his birth date on the website. That would have made him too old to compete at the 2003 junior world championships, which the pair won.
They went on to win the silver medal at the Turin Games and silvers at the 2006, 2008 and 2009 world championships.
The ISU is aware of the discrepancies and has asked the Chinese federation for more information, said ISU spokeswoman Selina Vanier.
Aware of discrepancies
"At the moment, we have no comment because we're trying to find out where those lists are, who created them, etc," Vanier said.
Yang Dong, director of the figure skating department of China's Winter Sports Administrative Center, told Xinhua news agency that he was aware of the allegations. "We'll spare no efforts on probing it," he was quoted as saying.
The list on the Chinese association's website had disappeared by yesterday.
Jacques Rogge, president of the International Olympic Committee, said he was to ask his staff about the matter.
Sui and Han are considered to be the heirs apparent to Olympic gold medalists Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo, winning the junior world title last year and taking medals at all of their senior Grand Prix events this year, including the bronze at the Grand Prix final.
According to the list of birth dates on the website, however, Sui and Han should not have been competing at those events and are also ineligible for this year's junior world championships, which begin on February 28 in South Korea.
Sui was born on May 7, 1997, according to the website, making her just 13. That would mean she was too young for both last year's junior world championships, where she and Han came first, and this year's senior Grand Prix series. Han, meanwhile, had a March 1989 birthday on the association's list, making him 21.
Yu Xiaoyu and Yang Jin, the other Chinese pair entered for the junior world championships, might not be eligible, either. Yu was born on January 2, 1998, according to the website, making her 12 on the July 1 cutoff for this season. Yet she and Yang competed on the junior Grand Prix circuit, winning in Ostrava and taking home bronze medals from Graz and the junior Grand Prix final.
Age limits were imposed in 1996 to protect young skaters from serious injury.
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