Association distances itself from judge's case
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Officials from China's gymnastics governing body said on Thursday the country has been informed of the International Gymnastics Federation's (FIG) disciplinary action against a Chinese judge and insisted the association had nothing to do with the alleged offense.
"We have received the notice from FIG and we have informed judge Shao Bin of this," said Pan Chenfei, deputy secretary of the Chinese Gymnastics Association. "We are investigating the incident and if the offense is found to be true, we will take action against him.
"China is strict with its judge management and it's intolerable for them to go against FIG rules. The association never gave him any instructions or orders to do this. It was his decision."
Judge Shao was cited for having violated the ethical code and judging rules during the men's artistic floor final at the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou in November 2010.
Shao, on the difficulty panel, modified an execution score before its release without informing the head execution judge or the superior jury. The FIG said Shao committed this act "upon his own initiative and with complete disregard for the rules".
His action led to Chinese gymnast Zhang Chenglong's ascent from second to first, tied with Kim Soo-myun of South Korea, but with a score giving him a favorable position in a tiebreak.
The FIG deemed Shao's move "wholly unacceptable", and has decided to take severe action, transferring the case to its disciplinary commission.
Zhang, 21, and his teammates are now in France for a stage of the World Cup competition. Team manager Ye Zhennan said the investigation would not hinder the squad's preparations.
"It will not affect our team. For Zhang, he is focused on his competition as he has nothing to do with this case." Ye explained fairness is "relative" in gymnastics as scoring can be affected by subjective factors.
"China's achievements in gymnastics rely on our techniques and strength. We have been treated unfairly by referees so many times," he said.
"In this sport, you cannot avoid subjectivity as scores are determined by judges and not by machines."
