BEIJING

The simmering issue over possible underage Chinese gymnasts did not boil over before the women’s team final was settled Wednesday with the host country taking the gold from the United States, and convincingly. But why do I get the feeling that if these Olympics were happening in Chicago or Los Angeles, the story would by now be a serious cable television cause célèbre?

Larry King would be hosting the stricken parents of victimized Americans. Hannity would be chiding Colmes about Communist child abusers. Lou Dobbs would be demanding the borders be closed to all Chinese gymnasts under 80 pounds.

Here, claims by the coaching legend, Bela Karolyi, that what China has done is “a slap in the face of the whole world” have barely resonated outside the gymnastic venue and across the greater Olympic community. Even his wife, Martha, the American team coordinator, took the wink-wink approach after Alicia Sacramone’s aborted mount on the balance beam and mistakes by all three Americans in the floor exercise cemented silver-medal status.

“I have no proof so I can not make an affirmation,” Martha Karolyi said afterward, referring to issue of underage gymnasts. Then she mentioned that one of the Chinese girls  she said she did not know them by name  seemed to be missing a baby tooth. Wednesday night, the unnamed gymnast will be sleeping with a gold medal under her pillow.