They keep coming one after another – the latest that I’ve heard is that the 2008 kung fu pupils which performed at the incredible opening ceremony were held captive in prison conditions for a year prior to the games. This doesn’t come as a big shock, but the sheer number of allegations at this time do – from underage gymnasts with forged passports issued by national authority, lip syncing children singing as the flag is being raised (the real 7 year old singer wasn’t cute enough), athletic gulags which nurture athletes, and denying visas to Olympic athletes who have a history of speaking out about Tibet or Darfur. It seems that the Olympics have gone well but it seemed impossible for a country with as many skeletons in the closet as China to hold an event of this magnitude and not have everything be thoroughly scrutinized.
This as Phelps just won his 7th gold medal by a margin of 0.01 seconds. Unbelievable.
Here’s the article about the Shaolin pupils who participated in the opening ceremony.