There is no level playing field for athletes in China. Instead, entire sports are run by corrupt administrators, as the case of the former boss of synchronized swimming makes clear, Chinese media have reported.
Several Chinese media outlets reported on Tuesday that the former director of the Synchronized Swimming Department under the General Administration of Sport of China (GASC) was detained on Oct. 30 for investigation on the charge of receiving bribes, citing leaked information from former colleagues and inside sources.
Yu Li, 59, had absolute authority in the circles of synchronized swimming before she retired. China’s media reports are vague about when she retired, although they agree in saying she did so before she was investigated for corruption.
The reports say she started to serve as the director of the Synchronized Swimming Department in 2002 and used to be a synchronized swimming athlete herself.
The trigger to Yu’s investigation is likely related to an incident at the 2013 National Games when a pair of synchronized swimming athletes refused to receive the bronze medal in protest against unfair scoring, according to Titan Sports, China’s most circulated sport newspaper.
