MCLC: Chinese media criticize double standards

[Denton, Kirk]

MCLC LIST
From: kirk (denton.2 at osu.edu)
Subject: Chinese media criticize double standards
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Source: The Guardian (8/6/12):
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/aug/06/london-2012-chinese-media-stand
ards-olympics

London 2012: Chinese media criticise 'double standards' at Olympics
People's Daily claims Chinese athletes treated unfairly

By Reuters

Chinese athletes have been victims of double standards at the Olympics,
the country's top official newspaper said on Monday while questioning the
expulsion of two of its players from the badminton tournament.

The People's Daily said that decision was made despite ambiguous rules. It
also criticised a ruling depriving a Chinese cyclist of a gold medal in
the women's team sprint and unfounded doping allegations made against
swimming sensation Ye Shiwen.

"In ruling on infringements, making accusations of poor sportsmanship and
raising suspicions about a genius competitor, there are double standards
that have taken aim at the Chinese team and its athletes," said the paper,
the main voice of the ruling Communist Party.

"This unfortunately is hard to explain as inadvertent mis-steps, it might
be closer to the truth to see it as deliberate attacking and interference."

Last week China was rocked by the expulsion of its top-seeded women's
doubles pair Yu Yang and Wang Xiaoli, among eight badminton competitors
kicked out for playing to lose group matches with the aim of gaining more
favourable draws in the knockout rounds.

Nonetheless, China completed a sweep of all five badminton golds,
clinching the men's singles and doubles titles at the London Games on
Sunday.

The People's Daily said the furore in the sport had been used unfairly
against China.

"Though there can be different understandings of the rules of competition,
the Chinese delegation nevertheless voiced its respect for the
punishment," said the paper. "Yet some Western media still seized upon
this to deliberately disparage the Chinese athletes and delegation."

The paper noted the British cyclist Philip Hindes's sprint team kept their
golds 
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/aug/03/london-2012-philip-hindes-cras
h-translation?newsfeed=true>, even though the rider was reported as saying
he crashed on purpose ­ words his team later said were "lost in
translation".

"Levelling all the accusations at Chinese athletes plainly lacks
fairness," said the People's Daily.
China's basketball hero Yao Ming also waded into the badmintoncontroversy,
saying over the weekend the expelled players were victims although he also
supported the decision to disqualify them.