Momentum, Common Sense Not on Chinese Gymnasts' Side

Despite the best efforts of whimsical Jacques Rogge, the whole "China cheated at gymnastics" thing has not blown over. The folks who rule international gymnastics competition spent today thoroughly investigating the age of four Chinese gymnasts, including superstar He Kexin. This after Rogge said he believed China and closed its case, and redirected his outrage at the unbelievably scandalous Usain Bolt, who would the malignant audacity to celebrate a victory. The scoundrel!

Two outside developments seem to cast clouds on China's hopes the gymnastics federation will also rule He and friends to be old enough to compete. The first: He didn't show up to a concert she was scheduled to make an appearance at Saturday night Beijing time. (That sentence belongs to Satan.) More potent: Chinese gymnastics medalist Yang Yun has admitted on state television she lied about her age in Sydney in 2000.

Neither note has direct relevance to the current case -- even alleged 16-year-olds have curfews, after all. But you'd have to be blind as Stevie Wonder to seriously believe -- given all the circumstances -- there's no chance China's fudging documents here. Fortunately, scientists have a scientific solution not entirely dissimilar from a previous suggestion of mine.

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