Another 3rd Chinese gymnast's age in doubt:
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Yang Yilin was born Aug. 26, 1993, according to 2004, 2005 and 2006 registration lists previously posted on the General Administration of Sport of China's website.
Yang is a medal favourite in the all-around and uneven bars, but the previously listed birth date would make her 15 at the end of August, below the minimum age of 16.
Yang's birth date on the 2007 registration list, however, is stated as Aug. 26, 1992, making her eligible.
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They will be competing though:
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International Gymnastics Federation secretary general Andrei Gueisbuhler said he was unable to comment on Yang's case without seeing written records.
"If I don't have written proof of something ... we have to take for granted the passports that we've seen and have been checked by the IOC are OK," Gueisbuhler said.
Officials with the Chinese Gymnastics Association say that they have applied for passports for all of the athletes, and that photocopies of He and Jiang's passports, issued in July 2007 and March 2006, indicate they are both over 16.
"The International Gymnastics Federation strictly verified their passports and confirmed that their ages met the age rules for participating in the world championship, World Cup and Olympics," the association said in a statement.
The International Olympic Committee was in contact with the federation and Chinese officials regarding the age issue, IOC president Jacques Rogge said Saturday.
"The IOC relies on the international federations, who are exclusively responsible for the eligibility of athletes," Rogge said. "It's not the task of the IOC to check every one of the 10,000 athletes."
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There are 6 gymnasts on a team, so that makes half of the Chinese team's age in doubt that they are old enough to b eligible to compete at the Beijing Olympics.
