At his blog, Tim Hathaway translates a Southern Weekend piece by Li Haipeng on fairness in Chinese sports:
There were ripples outside the pool this year at the conclusion of the National Diving Competition. One national A level judge who was once the head coach of the Hunan diving team stormed out of the judges area and spoke to the media. He said all 12 gold medals had been decided beforehand and the man responsible is Zhou Jihong (周继红), the assistant director of the National Aquatic Sports Center and the man in charge of the national diving team. This judge also predicted who would win the last four gold medals and two days later he was proven correct.
It stands to reason that the identity of this whistle blower alone is enough for people to take him seriously. It should be enough to turn this allegation of fraud which occurred in plain sight into a major news story. However, thus far it has been nothing but a storm in a teacup. There has been no substantive impact to speak of.
As of yet we have not seen any evidence of a regulatory body conducting an investigation. Unless Zhou Jihong’s statements are a complete fabrication, the official response has been lacking. It is possible that they are just a bit slow and that some offices are just a bit behind the times. However, there is another possibility which is a cause for concern. There may be some who hope this will just blow over so they won’t have to take responsibility. But if one matter is left unresolved, there will be a hundred more. With this in mind, a thorough investigation is both fundamental and necessary.
