A nation of competitive fakers
One in five Chinese athletes lie about their age
A Chinese study has found that one in five of the nation’s athletes fake their age, some by up to seven years. Researchers in the southern province of Guangdong tested the bones of athletes using X-rays, and found that 3,000 had misrepresented their birth date, often to keep competing in junior competitions once they were too old. The study is considered an embarrassment to China, who denied allegations at last year’s Olympics that its gymnasts were too young to compete.
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