The Olympics has always been a place where dreams come true. Whether it is an athlete who has been training for this moment their whole lives, a parent anxiously waiting to see the result of their child's dedication, or a spectator who wants to see their country win the gold. With these dreams comes controversy; this year it was centered around the Chinese gymnastic team. The Chinese Olympic team had all the talent and dedication required to compete in the olympics, but had they met the age requirement? While watching I was surprised with how young some of the gymnasts appeared to be. I clearly was not the only person to feel this way, the gymnasts' ages were questioned in reports by The New York Times and Associated Press. Athletes must meet an age requirement of 16. The Chinese gymnasts He Kexin, Jiang Yuyuan, and Yang Yilin definitely appear to be younger than 16. Their ages continue to be under investigation.
Did the Chinese Olympic team let their dream of winning the gold get in the way of reality?
Seeing as the Olympics took place in Beijing this year, the "home" team might have been willing to win, at any cost. The Olympics is a world wide competition, each country must uphold the rules made by the Olympic Committee. It is unfair to all the other gymnasts who competed, and also those who were unable to compete because of the age restriction. The Chinese victory has been surrounded by controversy; many people do not accept them as the true gold medalists. I hope that in the future teams do not allow their dream to prevent them from competing fairly.
No comments:
Post a Comment