Main content

How extraordinary is Ye Shiwen?

How extraordinary was Ye Shiwen's Olympic performance? A US swim coach called her 400m medley swim "disturbing". More or Less investigates.

There was controversy this week after Ye Shiwen - a young Chinese swimmer - won the 400 metre individual medley in fine style.

A US swimming coach called the performance "disturbing", implying that she may have cheated.

More Or Less investigates the numbers and finds there's no statistical smoking gun.

(Image: China's Ye Shiwen competing in the women's 200m individual medley heats swimming event at the London 2012 Olympic Games. Credit: AFP PHOTO/LEON NEALLEON NEAL/AFP/Getty Images)

Available now

10 minutes

Last on

Sun 5 Aug 2012 21:50GMT
BBC World Service Online

More episodes

Previous

How extraordinary is Ye Shiwen?

Next

How to lose money, fast

See all episodes from More or Less

Broadcasts

  • Sat 4 Aug 2012 10:50GMT
    BBC World Service Online
  • Sun 5 Aug 2012 15:50GMT
    BBC World Service Online
  • Sun 5 Aug 2012 21:50GMT
    BBC World Service Online

Unlock the history and truth behind the data with The OU

Unlock the history and truth behind the data with The OU

Explore how numbers shape, and sometimes mislead us, with The Open University.

When can you trust statistics?

When can you trust statistics?

BBC Ideas discovers three easy ways to help make sense of statistics.

Podcast

  • More or Less

    Tim Harford explains the numbers and statistics used in everyday life