It was 10 years in the waiting, but finally the U.S. women’s gymnastics team has a bronze medal for its performance in the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. The American women had finished fourth behind the Chinese, but the International Olympic Committee has finally ordered the Chinese to forfeit the medal for using an ineligible athlete.
While the Americans are pleased, they should temper their enthusiasm — and not just because this issue has been incubating for a decade. There’s “cheating” — as in the use of performance-enhancing drugs or rigged scores. And there’s having a gymnast who’s — too young, a decided disadvantage in most sports. China’s Dong Fangxiao was really, really good and better than most of her American counterparts — but was only 14. Since 1996, gymnasts must turn 16 during the Olympic year to be eligible. Thus the disqualification.
Granted, there’s a good reason for a minimum age: the potential and actual exploitation of pre-pubescent athletes had become an ongoing concern. Even if Nadia Comaneci was only 14 when she won her gold at Montreal in 1976.
The bronze medal should have been left vacant.