Chinese Cheating?

Prior to the Beijing Olympics, I read an interesting article about cheating at the 1980 Moscow Olympics. Because the United States boycotted these olympics, few American journalists covered them. However, one reporter did go and was shocked to find the Russian officials twisting the results to favor their countrymen. James Dunaway, "In 1980, the Russians turned the olympics into the gams of shame," Austin American Statesman, July 20, 2008. Now there are at least two stories about the Chinese government manipulating the games, one silly and one serious.

The opening ceremonies of the games last Friday were spectacular, at least on TV. Viewers at the stadium witnessed only a modest fireworks display, while television watchers saw a spectacular one. It turns out that the Chinese digitally added more fireworks to the TV picture because the real ones couldn't be seen through the smog. They also mechanically enhanced the Chinese flags to flap in the non-existent breeze. Finally, they had a cute kid lip sync to the "Ode to the Motherland" because the actual singer had chubby cheeks and crooked teeth. According to music director, "The reason for this is that we must put our country's interests first. The girl appearing on the picture must be flawless in terms of her facial expressions and the great feeling she can give to the people."



More serious are the allegations that the Chinese government rigged official documents to allow underage gymnasts to compete. In order to compete, gymnasts must turn 16 in the year of the olympics. The Chinese government provided passports showing that the girls were the required age. However, online records for two of the girls indicate that they are only 14 years old, while a profile posted by state television indicated that a third gymnast was 14 as well. Size matters in gymnastics. The American girls who won the silver were an average of three inches taller and 30 pounds heavier than their Chinese counterparts. Since the government issues passports, it would be easy for the government to verify whatever age it wanted to.

The Olympics are a matter of national pride. Totalitarian governments from Nazi Germany in 1936 to the Soviet Union in 1980 to the present Olympics in Beijing have tried to shade the games to their favor. Perhaps it is not a good idea to let these nations act as host.