Age Discrepancies for Chinese Skaters

[shan]

So Zhangs and Bin Shu Xu are in the clear, but the others are being investigated?

[Squibble]

So Zhangs and Bin Shu Xu are in the clear, but the others are being investigated?

There's a difference between the Chinese Federation's internal investigation and the investigation by the ISU. As posted above, the ISU has simply said that there are no age discrepancies in the documents submitted to the ISU (passports and forms from the Federation, I believe). The ISU's investigation will undoubtedly take longer. The ISU investigated Walter Toigo, a judge from Italy, for possible improprieties during the Junior Grand Prix season and just announced its decision a few days ago.

[shan]

There's a difference between the Chinese Federation's internal investigation and the investigation by the ISU. As posted above, the ISU has simply said that there are no age discrepancies in the documents submitted to the ISU (passports and forms from the Federation, I believe). The ISU's investigation will undoubtedly take longer. The ISU investigated Walter Toigo, a judge from Italy, for possible improprieties during the Junior Grand Prix season and just announced its decision a few days ago.

Interesting, thanks.

[Sylvia]

The ISU investigated Walter Toigo, a judge from Italy, for possible improprieties during the Junior Grand Prix season and just announced its decision a few days ago.

Was this decision formally announced? I thought Tony Wheeler broke the news in his blog: http://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/showthread.php?t=77668

BTW, it appears that the Chinese media continues to cover this story. Here's an editorial that was published in the Chinese Youth Daily on Feb. 18: http://sports.sina.com.cn/r/2011-02-...95455275.shtml

Google translated version: http://translate.google.com/translat...95455275.shtml
Excerpts:

Sports in China, change the age of athletes has long been an open secret, the reporter when many athletes often experience a strange phenomenon, when asked the age of these athletes, they tend to think a long time, even with his teammates discussion about it, because some athletes not only changed the age, but also changed more than once, to change to change the age, even themselves confused.
...
Industry experts point out that the Chinese skating team also caught in the "age gate" whirlpool, major issues to minor ones of the processing approach can of course leave it alone, but if China continues to this apathetic sports world, when the outbreak of such incidents continue, Chinese sports in the nineties of last century due to doping problems and isolation by the international community questioned the scene, it is entirely possible reproduction.

[barbk]

Thanks for the translation, Jlai.

Sounds like from what the Chinese Youth Daily published that age falsification is pretty common among Chinese athletes. I hope the ISU has the balls to come down on them. (I'm not betting on it, though.)

[leafygreens]

There's a difference between the Chinese Federation's internal investigation and the investigation by the ISU. As posted above, the ISU has simply said that there are no age discrepancies in the documents submitted to the ISU (passports and forms from the Federation, I believe). The ISU's investigation will undoubtedly take longer. The ISU investigated Walter Toigo, a judge from Italy, for possible improprieties during the Junior Grand Prix season and just announced its decision a few days ago.

Yeah, I find it pretty hard to believe that a sports federation would accept questionable documents created by the country being investigated and then say "Ok, move along, nothing to see here" when the country has so many question marks regarding age falsification throughout its history. We are reaching a point where athletes will not stand for this kind of blatant cheating and the federations will have to comply. The investigation is going to have to go a lot deeper. How do you prove an age beyond falsified paperwork? Interviews with people the skaters have known, records of stuff they have posted about themselves on the internet... none are "official" but they could show a pattern of deceit which could weigh heavily on the final decision.

[Sylvia]

John Powers of the Boston Globe recaps the story in the first part of his "Olympic Notes" column today (2/22): http://www.boston.com/sports/other_s...res_off_again/

[HisWeirness]

Was this decision formally announced? I thought Tony Wheeler broke the news in his blog: http://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/showthread.php?t=77668

The Toigo decision has now been formally announced in ISU Communication 1669.

1. Walter Toigo is guilty of misconduct and of violation of the duties of Judges and the ISU Code of Ethics.

2. A two year suspension from participation in all ISU activities as an ISU Judge / International Judge and International Referee is imposed on Walter Toigo beginning with the legal effect of this decision.

[Sylvia]

I reposted HisWeirness' info in the Walter Toigo thread in GSD yesterday: http://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/showthread.php?t=77668

The male pair skater Yu GAO is newly listed on icepartnersearch (he used to skate with Narumi Takahashi of Japan when she was living in China): http://icepartnersearch.com/showbio.php?i=3548

He's one the skaters with the age/birthdate discrepancy: http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00011066.htm

Yu Gao
ISU Birthdate: 10.07.1992 (18)
Listed Birthdate: 10.07.1988 (22)

[RD]

FOUR years' difference! They are so brazen!

[oleada]

Isn't Gao the former partner of Narumi Takahashi? Her birthdate is January 15, 1992. It's not unheard of, but it's unusual for a male pairs younger to be older than the girl, especially when they are young.

[gkelly]

Isn't Gao the former partner of Narumi Takahashi? Her birthdate is January 15, 1992. It's not unheard of, but it's unusual for a male pairs skater to be older than the girl, especially when they are young.

Well, it's not that unusual for the girl to be less than a year older than the boy. Worked for Davis/White (who started skating together very young) and Torvill/Dean.

[Squibble]

Well, it's not that unusual for the girl to be less than a year older than the boy. Worked for Davis/White (who started skating together very young) and Torvill/Dean.

Those are dance couples. oleada was specifically talking about pairs.

[agalisgv]

It's not unheard of, but it's unusual for a male pairs skater to be older than the girl, especially when they are young.

I thought it was pretty common for male pairs skaters to be older than their partners.

[oleada]

I thought it was pretty common for male pairs skaters to be older than their partners.

I meant the girl to be older than the man

[mark247]

I always thought that when younger, girls were typically the younger as well. Why is it that younger skaters pair with younger counterparts? Is it mainly the skill level of both, and so older (and possibly more skilled) skaters tend to go with other older/skilled partners? Or does it have to do with maturity level?

[Sylvia]

I found some interesting discussion today continuing on this topic at Golden Skate (page 11 of this thread, starting with post #158): http://www.goldenskate.com/forum/sho...l=1#post554068

[heckles]

Han is 21 and Sui is 13? They should skate to something by R. Kelly.