2008 Summer Olympics issues - Events controversy

Members of the Civil Human Rights Front

Concerns over the 2008 Summer Olympics include the potential for protests from pro-Tibetan independence organizations such as Students for a Free Tibet as well as from human rights organizations such as Amnesty International critical of China's involvement in the crisis in Darfur. China has also been battling problems with air pollution both in the city of Beijing and in neighboring areas, which the Beijing Organizing Committee (BOCOG) says it hopes to remedy before the games. The head of Interpol warned China on April 25, 2008 that there is a real possibility that the Beijing Olympics will be targeted by terrorist groups, as well as potentially violent disruption from protestors.

Events controversy

Prior to the start of the Games, the Spain Men's Basketball team featured in an ad that appeared in the Spanish daily sports newspaper Marca. The athletes were in uniform pulling back the skin on their eyelids, with smiles on their faces, at a center court bearing a dragon logo. Many consider the slant eye a racially pejorative. Sarah Smith, a spokesman for the Organization of Chinese Americans in Washington, D.C. said that the photo is "clearly racist, and not even in a jovial way", saying that she expected more from a group of Olympians, many of whom have played professionally in the United States. The IOC considers the matter closed, saying "clearly it was inappropriate, we understand the team has apologised and absolutely meant no offence whatsoever". This was one in a string of racist incidents that may hurt Madrid's bid for the 2016 Olympic games.

The Chinese men's football team was severely criticised by the domestic media for its poor sportsmanship, as two players were sent off during their 2-0 loss to Belgium.

Iran's Mohammad Alirezaei was due to race against Israel's Tom Be'eri in the fourth heat of the 100 meter breaststroke, but pulled out, apparently under the orders of the chiefs of the Iranian delegation. Efraim Zinger, Olympic Committee of Israel General Secretary, criticized the withdrawal saying "Politics takes precedence over sport with the Iranians and the Olympic spirit is as far from them as east is far from west". At the 2004 Games in Athens, Iran's Arash Miresmaeili, a two-time world judo champion, refused to compete against Israel's Ehud Vaks in the opening round of the 66kg competition, later admitting that he made his decision to show solidarity for the Palestinian cause. Giselle Davies, director of communications for the IOC, said that Alirezaei withdrew because of sickness and submitted his case in writing to his Federation.

Swedish wrestler Ara Abrahamian rejected his bronze medal in 84kg Greco-Roman wrestling in protest over the judging of a semifinal match. He was later disqualified from the event and his medal stripped.

Underage gymnasts controversy

There was frequent speculation that members of the Chinese women's gymnastics team were underage and that the government had altered their passports so they could appear to be 16 years old, the minimum eligibility to compete at the Olympics in accordance with FIG, the head organisation of the sport. Nellie Kim, a five-time Olympic gold medalist, said that the advantage for younger gymnasts is that they are lighter and more fearless when they perform difficult maneuvers.

Gymnasts questioned by the media are Jiang Yuyuan and He Kexin. In response to this criticism, Chinese authorities presented passport information to show that they were 16 as of 2008. But online records listing Chinese gymnasts and their ages that were posted on official Web sites in China, along with ages given in the official Chinese news media, seem to contradict the passport information, indicating that He, Linlin, and Jiang may be as young as 14. For instance, The Times found two online records of official registration lists of Chinese gymnasts that list He's birthday as Jan. 1, 1994, which would make her 14. A 2007 national registry of Chinese gymnasts, currently taken offline but viewable through Google cache, shows He's birthday as "1994.1.1." State-run China Central Television (CCTV) website posted a profile indicating that Yang Yilin was 14, which the government later argued was incorrect. Yang Yun, who won two bronze medals in the 2000 Summer Olympics, later admitted on state-run China TV that she was 14 when she had competed. Despite these findings, The IOC has decided not to launch any investigations and have accepted the passports as legitimate.

Former noted coach and NBC guest commentator Béla Károlyi has said that the 2008 Chinese women's gymnastics team cheated by using athletes who did not meet the minimum age requirements. He and his wife stated that "They are using half-people. One of the biggest frustrations is, what arrogance. These people think we are stupid." He also claimed that the vault of Chun Fei of China was a major judging error and a "rip off".

China's State Training and Expectations

As the host country, China has high expectations, putting immense pressure upon athletes and coaches alike. Liu Xiang, the defending Olympic champion for the 110 meter hurdles, had pulled out of the heats with an injury. His victory in Athens four years ago was China's first gold medal in track and field, regarded by some as dispelling the widespread view that Chinese physiology was unsuitable for such a discipline. Hyped by the state and sponsors, with his fame and endorsements exceeded that of Yao Ming in China, Liu's withdrawal dissapointed millions with some accusing him of being afraid to lose. Liu's coach had been told by government officials that "if Liu could not win a gold medal in Beijing, all of his previous achievements would become meaningless." Josef Capousek, a former rowing coach who was recently fired by China's sporting federation over a dispute about his contract (the Chinese language version stated that his athletes "must" win the gold medal), said "nobody can guarantee a gold in any sport...but here, anything less than gold means nothing."

There has also been criticism of the Chinese government's training regime in the state academies, where 250,000 children are enrolled, which some liken to the harsh system of the former Soviet Union. At the age of three, prospective gymnasts are taken from their families to be coached. Besides going through a grueling schedule of practice, the children are only allowed to see their parents a few times each year, and detractors say that this robs them of their childhood. Critics also say that the sports schools focus on training at the expense of education, leaving athletes unprepared to leave the sports system that has raised them. Yang Wenjun, a C-2 rowing champion at the Athens Olympics, told The New York Times that officials threatened to withhold his retirement income if he quit before the Beijing Games, which he said was "not possible to survive without those benefits", as he acknowledged that he was ill-equipped to go to college or start a business. While Yang and his family has received numerous rewards for his achievement (including stipends, performance bonuses, endorsements, and an apartment), he has not seen his parents in three years.

Opening ceremony

The song Ode to the Motherland was recorded beforehand by another young girl, Yang Peiyi, who was replaced by Lin Miaoke who lip-synched it at the ceremony. A senior Politburo member said Miaoke's voice was not good enough for the ceremony but that Peiyi wasn't cute enough, and this was defended by International Olympic Committee executive director Gilbert Felli as being more "photogenic". The secret was revealed by Chen Qigang, the ceremony's chief musical director, in an interview with state-owned Beijing Radio. Chen, a French national, later told AP Television News he felt compelled to "to come out with the truth", saying that Peiyi was "a magnificent singer" who "doesn't deserve to be hidden." Sun Weide, the spokesman for the Beijing organizing committee, said the decision to use both girls was made by the artistic director after consulting with broadcasters, who had recommended the change. This was not the first time the Olympics Opening Ceremonies involved lip-synching, one such occasion was during the 2006 Winter Olympic opening ceremony in Turin, Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti lip-synched his own performance. Others drew a distinction between the Beijing and Turin lip-syching; Pavarotti had used one of his recordings, and conductor Leone Magiera felt the cold weather made it difficult for an ill Pavarotti to perform live.

One part of the fireworks show which displayed the 29 footprints that wandered into the Bird’s Nest from outside the stadium, was simulated by computer animation to portray the real fireworks due to the hazy smog conditions and safety concerns with flying a helicopter near the display.

Broadcasting issues

NBC, which paid US$5.7 billion for exclusive United States broadcasting rights to the Summer and Winter Games from 2000 through 2012, requested that popular events be broadcast live during television primetime in the United States. This would require events to be held in the early morning between 8:00 and 11:00 a.m., Beijing time. The IOC granted the request for swimming and gymnastics but denied it for athletics and basketball. However NBC only broadcast live events in the Eastern and Central Time Zones.

The IOC and broadcasters are uncertain as to whether the Beijing authorities will allow them to broadcast live from locations such as Tiananmen Square, fearing protests. In 2001, Beijing announced there would be complete freedom for the media to report in China. After lengthy discussions, broadcasters are permitted to broadcast between the hours of 6-10am and 9-11pm with prior permission; however, live interviews are banned at all times. Many broadcasters are unhappy with this decision as it would "set a bad precedent in regards to press freedom", and are pushing the authorities further on the issue.

The IOC is also investigating complaints from the international media that the Internet at the Main Press Centre is slow and some websites remain blocked which may disrupt reporting. This was seen recently when Amnesty International criticised the Chinese government for not delivering on its Olympic promises of human rights; however journalists could not access the website. Additionally, websites critical of the government, or relating to Tibet and the religious group, Falun Gong remain blocked at the centre. Kevan Gosper from the IOC clarified that the 'open Internet' only refers to reporting directly on the games, and not other issues relating to China.

This guide is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.

Nicolae Sfetcu