The FIG announced Oct. 1 that all six gymnasts were old enough to compete, but only after more than a month of reviewing passports, ID cards and family registers. Gymnasts must turn 16 during the Olympic year in order to compete.
Although the licenses won't stop the sport's problem of age manipulation - licenses will be based on passports submitted by national federations - it will give the FIG proof of an athlete's age long before he or she shows up at an Olympics or world championships. Olympic champion Nastia Liukin, for example, competed at the Junior Pan American Championships when she was 13.
In other Olympic news:
* Two-time Olympic gold medal-winning swimmer Grant Hackett has retired after almost a decade of dominance at 1,500 meters. Hackett, 28, retires with the 1,500-meter record of 14 minutes, 34.56 seconds he set at the 2001 world championships in Japan. He also holds the world record in the 800 and held the world mark for the 200 freestyle in 1999, until it was topped by fellow Australian Ian Thorpe. Hackett just missed out on a third straight Olympic 1,500-meter freestyle title in Beijing.
NBA
* Patrick Ewing Jr. was waived by the New York Knicks, who got down to the 15-player limit by cutting the son of their career scoring leader.
* Coby Karl, who played in 17 games for the Los Angeles Lakers last season, was waived by the defending Western Conference champions. Karl is the son of Denver Nuggets coach George Karl.
* Houston Rockets backup point guard Aaron Brooks will miss 1 to 3 weeks because of a bone bruise in his right ankle. Brooks averaged 14.4 points and 4.1 assists in seven preseason games.
Sport Stops
* Eastman Kodak Co. is ending its 22-year sponsorship in NASCAR and putting more sports marketing dollars into professional golf. The photography pioneer, betting its future on electronic imaging, said the realignment fits better with a new effort to highlight its brand digitally, such as on PGA Tour scoreboards.
* Two-time Grand Slam champion Marat Safin said he is considering retirement after a 6-0, 7-6 (4) loss to Juan Monaco in the first round of the Paris Masters.
* Kentucky racing authorities have postponed possible action on trainer Rick Dutrow over a drug test on one of his horses, Salute the Count, saying they want more information. This summer, the commission found Dutrow in violation and suspended him for 15 days, but the trainer appealed.
* Colorado Rockies pitcher Luis Vizcaino was arrested after police in Tampa, Fla., said he was driving under the influence. The 34-year-old reliever was bailed out of jail later in the day. *
