Yang Yilin

Infobox Gymnast
gymnastname= Yang Yilin

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fullname= Yang Yilin
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country= CHN
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birthdate= 26 August 1992 [1992 as per fig|id=9498|name=Yang Yilin] [http://www6.lexisnexis.com/publisher/EndUser?Action=UserDisplayFullDocument&orgId=102128&topicId=117940046&docId=l:831445767&isRss=true 1st FIG age investigation finding Yang and her teammates not guilty] [http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/sports/chinese+gymnast+declared+old+enough/2484522 October 1 2008 IOC/FIG announced 2nd result of Yang Yilin's age investigation, exhonorating Yang and her teammates] [1993 as per [http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/olympics/athletics/tweddle-the-loser-as-age-doubts-mar-hes-triumph-901736.html 2003-2006 registration at the General Administration for Sport in China] ]
birthplace= Guangdong
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height= convert|147|cm|ftin
discipline= WAG
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collegeteam=
headcoach= Lu Shan Zhen
assistcoach= Liu Qun Lin
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music= Moulin Rouge soundtrack - Bolero
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Yang Yilin (zh-c|; born August 26, 1992 in Guangdong) is a Chinese gymnast. She is the 2008 Olympic all-around bronze medalist and a member of the gold medal winning Chinese Olympics gymnastics team. Yang was also the 2007 World Championships bronze medalist on the uneven bars.

Gymnastic career

In 2007, Yang was a member of the Chinese team for the World Championships. She won two medals: a silver with the Chinese team, and an individual bronze on the uneven bars. She also placed sixth all-around. Yang was also the all-around gold medalist at the 2007 Intercity Games, a national multi-sport event in China. In the spring of 2008, she led the Guangdong team to gold at Chinese National Championships and claimed individual medals in the all-around, uneven bars, and floor exercise.

At the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, Yang won the bronze medal in the individual all-around final with a score of 62.650, a bronze in the uneven bars event final and contributed marks towards the gold medal in the team competition. [cite web|url=http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/INF/GA/C73H/GAW024101.shtml#GAW024101|title= Results - All Around Women's Individual Final |publisher=The Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad|date=2008-08-15|accessdate=2008-08-15]

Age controversy

Discrepancies have surfaced over Yang's reported year of birth and age-eligibility for senior competition.cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/gymnastics/story/2008/08/03/china-gymnastics.html|title=Age of 3rd Chinese gymnast in doubt|publisher=CBC|author=Armour, Nancy|date=3 August 2008] Official records, including her FIG profile, give her birth year as 1992, which satisfies the cutoff for Olympic eligibility.fig|id=9498|name=Yang Yilin] However, in the summer of 2008, sources which gave a 1993 birth year for Yang, including registration lists from 2003-2006 on the official website for General Administration of Sport of China, were located and verified by several major media outlets, including the Associated Press and the "New York Times."cite web|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/olympics/athletics/tweddle-the-loser-as-age-doubts-mar-hes-triumph-901736.html|title=Tweddle the loser as age doubts mar He's triumph|publisher="The Independent"|author=Harris, Nick|date=2008-08-19|accessdate=2008-08-19] The FIG, in responding to the situation, stated that they considered the passports already supplied by Chinese officials to be sufficient, and would not ask for additional information to verify Yang's age. The IOC also refused to intervene, stating that the FIG's own verification system would be acceptable proof of eligibility.cite news |first=Nancy |last=Armour |title=More questions about Chinese gymnasts' ages|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=gymnastics&id=3517143|publisher=Associated Press |date=2008-08-02 |accessdate=2008-09-02] [cite web|url=http://www.latimes.com/sports/printedition/la-sp-olygymchina10-2008aug10,0,3941558.story|title=More age monitoring for women's gymnastics|publisher="Los Angeles Times"|author=Pucin, Diane|date=2002-08-10|accessdate=2008-08-16] However, the matter continued to be a source of controversy and debate among members of the media and the gymnastics community.

On August 21, the IOC announced that, in light of new evidence and urging of USOC exec Jim Shurr [http://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=5632928, ABC Sprots paragraph 2] , including discovery of cached copies of age-related registration lists on the General Administration for Sport in China, they had asked the FIG to reopen investigation into Yang and teammates' ages. [cite web|url=http://en.epochtimes.com/n2/world/underage-chinese-gymnasts-ioc-fig-3151.html|title= Investigate Chinese Gymnasts, Says IOC|publisher="Epoch Times"|author= Bryskine, Sonya|date=2008-08-21|accessdate=2008-08-21] On Friday August 22, 2008, the IOC said they had not uncovered any evidence of wrongdoing "so far", but the FIG requested additional documentation for five of the six gymnasts on the Chinese team, including Yang. [cite web|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/22/AR2008082201782.html?hpid=topnews |title=As Gymnastics Cheating Evidence Grows, IOC Shrinks|author=Sally Jenkins|publisher=Washington Post|date=August 22, 2008; 1:24 PM |downloaded=2008-08-22] cite web|url=http://209.20.80.25/vsite/vcontent/content/news/0,10869,5195-191062-208285-45462-288924-news-item,00.html |title=Artistic : Age of gymnasts|publisher=International Gymnastics Federation official announcement|date=August 23, 2008|accessdate=2008-08-27] [cite web|last=Garcia|first=Marlen|title=China offers more papers on gymnasts' ages|date=2008-08-24|url=http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/beijing/gymnastics/2008-08-24-gymnasts_N.htm|accessdate=2008-08-25] The IOC confirmed on August 28 that the FIG investigation was still active and in progress.cite web|last=Helft|first=Miguel|title=Internet-Age Detectives on the Trail of Gymnasts |date=2008-08-28|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/29/sports/olympics/29gymnastics.html?pagewanted=1&ref=sports|accessdate=2008-08-29]

On October 1, the FIG concluded their investigation stating that "the age of the Chinese team is well documented and proven". Originals of passports, identity cards and family registers were said to "confirm the ages of the athletes," [cite web | url=http://www.fig-gymnastics.com/vsite/vcontent/content/transnews/0,10869,5187-187975-19728-44545-290073-17968-5233-layout187-205197-news-item,00.html | title=FIG concludes Beijing investigation | date=2008-10-01 | accessdate=2008-10-08 | publisher= [http://www.fig-gymnastics.com/ Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique] ] and the investigation concluded that Yang and her teammates from the 2008 Olympic games were old enough to compete. [cite web | url=http://www.iht.com/articles/reuters/2008/10/02/sports/OUKSP-UK-GYMNASTICS-CHINA.php | publisher=International Herald Tribune | date=2008-10-02 | accessdate=2008-10-06 | title=Officials say Chinese Olympic gymnasts not underage] [cite web|url=http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/sports/AP-OLY-GYM-Underage-Chinese.html?_r=1&ref=sports&oref=slogin |title=Ruling Backs Chinese Gymnists |author=The Associated Press |publisher=New York Times|date=October 1, 2008|accessdate=2008-10-01]

Medal-Winners' News Conference

At the medal winner's new conference after her bronze win at Beijing 2008, she was asked if her parents were in the crowd, and she said she did not know. Asked when she last went home, she replied that it was before joining the national team, more than a year earlier. She also mentioned that she had not had a holiday since joining the national team. [http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/olympics/wires/08/15/2090.ap.oly.inside.the.rings]

Competitive history

References

External links

*fig|id=9498|name=Yang Yilin