China loses gymnastics bronze as IOC follows FIG recommendation

Apr 28, 2010, 17:31 GMT

Dubai - The Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Wednesday stripped China of the bronze medal that they won in the team event at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.

The IOC said that the bronze medal would now go to the US team.

In February of this year the gymnastics governing body FIG recommended to the IOC that China should be penalized after an investigation into the case of two Chinese gymnasts suspected of having falsified their dates of birth for the 2000 Olympic Games.

Athletes under 16 are not permitted to participate at the Olympics.

The first case involved Dong Fangxiao, who won a bronze medal with the Chinese team.

She competed between 1997 and 2001 and was registered with her date of birth given as January 20, 1983. At the Beijing Olympics in 2008, she applied to work as an official during the gymnastics competition, but gave her date of birth January 23, 1986.

'In the case of Dong Fangxiao, the Executive Committee constituted that there was a violation to the FIG Statutes and Regulations. Consequently, the results obtained by Dong Fangxiao at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games have been cancelled,' FIG said in a statement at the time.

'In addition, the FIG Executive Committee pronounced the cancellation of all results obtained by Dong Fangxiao at the 34th Artistic Gymnastics World Championships 1999 in Tianjin, of all results obtained at the FIG World Cup Series 1999 - 2000 and at the Artistic Gymnastics 2000 World Cup Final in Glasgow.'

In the case of another gymnast, Yang Yun, FIG ruled that there was not enough evidence, even though the athlete said during an interview that she had only been 14 during the Sydney Olympics.

She later said she had made a mistake, but the interview prompted the FIG investigation.