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Anonymous
I don't think anyone has actually stopped and thought about this.
The 2008 Beijing Olympics are more than just a petty sports competition for the PRC and the Chinese people. They're not just a chance to go out and kick the Americans' asses. Hell, that's not even what they are at all to the Chinese.
No, they're something a hell of a lot more important. They're the PRC's chance to show the rest of the world that they're not a poor, backward, and generally horrible Soviet remnant. The point here is not for the Chinese team to come out and show how awesome they are and how many medals they can win, although it would be nice, and a great moment of pride for the Chinese people. Caring about that shit, honestly, is more for the Americans (as this whole debacle has shown) than the Chinese.
Look, the PRC want to use this as a publicity event. They want this to be their grand unveiling to the Western world, to show a nation that's poised, ready, and capable to become the next superpower.
Do you really, honestly, and truly believe that the PRC would be so mindbogglingly stupid as to allow this entire chance to be ruined, through petty methods of scraping a single extra gold medal out of the Women's Gymnastics? Do you, my fellow Americans, really think that? (Because if you do, just tell me, and I'll move to some country whose citizens respect others.)
While these girls may well and truly be younger than 16, I'm sure if they are, that the Chinese sports organizations aren't aware, or if there are doubts, they really have seen no proof that they *aren't* 16. And what the hell do you want them to do? Pull out magic age-reading machines, and be able to somehow instantly know?
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