SIDELINES : Romania Gymnasts’ Ages Faked

The birth dates of at least two of Romania’s gold-medal gymnasts were faked by the ousted Communist regime so they could compete in the Olympics and other international events, an East German gymnastics magazine reported today.

Daniela Silivas, winner of three gold medals at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, told Olympic Gymnastics magazine that she was only 14 when she won her first medal at the 1985 European Championships.

Silivas said she was born May 9, 1971, and not in 1970, as listed in her competition documents. Ekaterina Szabo, winner of four gold medals at the 1982 Los Angeles Olympics, was quoted as saying: “I was born on Jan. 22, 1968, and not in 1967 as it was always claimed.”

The International Gymnastics Federation bars women gymnasts under 15 from competing at Olympics and other major international events, including the world and European championships.