China to cooperate with Sydney Olympics age probe

BEIJING (Reuters) - China has promised to cooperate with an International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) probe into the age of two Chinese medalists from the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
The FIG announced Tuesday that it would investigate whether Yang Yun, the uneven bars bronze winner and her team mate Dong Fangxiao, who shared a team bronze, were younger than the minimum Olympic age requirement of 16 at the time.
"The decision was taken after the Federation sought a legal advice confirming that the statute of limitations had not yet expired, and that the FIG is in fact the authority competent to conduct a full investigation," it said in a statement.
The commission looking into the age of the gymnasts will report its findings, and recommendations for sanctions if a violation is confirmed, before the end of September.
If adjudged under age, Yang, wife of China`s three-time Olympic champion Yang Wei, could be stripped of her bronze. The entire Chinese team of six could also lose their medals if any of the two is ineligible.
"Yang and Dong were registered under the FIG`s Olympic entry procedure, and their ages were eligible," Lu Shanzhen, head coach of Chinese women`s gymnastic team, told Beijing Youth Daily.
"We will positively communicate with FIG and cooperate on their investigation in our authority.
"The FIG might have some information but we don`t know what they`ve got until we talk to them," Lu added.
During the Beijing Olympics last year, the FIG was ordered by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to investigate the age of China`s He Kexin, women`s team and uneven bars gold medallist.
He, along with team mates Jiang Yuyuan, Yang Yilin, Li Shanshan and Deng Linlin, were subsequently declared eligible by the FIG two months after they won China`s first ever Olympic team gold in women`s gymnastics.
(Reporting by Liu Zhen and Emma Graham-Harrison; Editing by Nick Mulvenney
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