The International Gymnastics Federation has ruled to “cancel” a Chinese gymnast’s bronze medal from the 2000 Sydney Olympics for being under regulation age, but the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has yet to make a final decision whether to strip her of her medal.
Following a year-long investigation, the Switzerland-based international gymnastics body known as FIG (Federation International Gymnastics) has ruled that Dong Fangxiao’s age was falsified and that she was only 14 years old when she competed in Sydney. The legal age for gymnasts is 16.
Dong now faces being stripped of her bronze medal, which she claimed together with three other athletes in the women’s team event.
“Clearly, we need to take time to consider the findings before the executive board can consider the matter,” said IOC communications director, Mark Adams. “We would like to thank the FIG for their work and we would refer further enquiries to them.”
When Dong registered to compete in the Sydney Olympics, her birth date was listed as Jan. 20, 1983. When she applied for accreditation to work as an official at the Beijing Games in 2008, she listed her birthday as Jan. 20, 1986.
Other evidence considered by FIG included the fact that on her personal blog she said she was born in the Chinese Year of the Ox, which corresponds to the year from Feb. 20, 1985 to Feb. 8, 1986.
