Beijing Olympic Games

IOC investigation clears Chinese gymnasts

LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND (TICKER) —The International Gymnastics Federation concluded Wednesday that China did not enter any underage gymnasts at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

While the five-week investigation into the Chinese gymnasts who competed in August is closed, the IOC is still looking at two athletes who participated at the 2000 summer games.

Following claims that some of the Chinese gymnasts competing in Beijing this summer were as young as 14, the IOC asked the Federation Internationale de Gymnastique to investigate the matter.

“The Federation Internationale de Gymnastique has completed its investigation into the ages of Chinese team gymnasts who competed at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games,” the FIG said in a statement. “Originals of official documents received from the Chinese Gymnastics Association, specifically passports, identity cards and family booklets or ‘Household Registers,’ confirm the ages of the athletes.

“The FIG has shared its conclusions with the International Olympic Committee, which originally requested the inquiry. It is considered that the case is now concluded.”

The FIG added that an investigation into two members of the 2000 team will continue.

“However the FIG - with the agreement of the IOC - intends to investigate further the age of Chinese gymnasts Dong Fangxiao and Yang Yun who participated at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. The FIG does not consider the explanations and evidence provided to date in regards to these athletes as satisfactory.”

Doubts about both Dong and Yang’s eligibility at Sydney were raised in the build-up to Beijing.

Dong worked as an official in Beijing and her registration documents for this year’s event gave an age that would suggest she was only 14 in 2000.

Yang already has told Chinese television she was 14 in 2000.