China pulls article on 13 yr. old Olympic gymnast

[*DIVA!]

State-media story fuels questions on gymnast’s age

By JOHN LEICESTER, Associated Press Writer 11 hours, 45 minutes ago

BEIJING - AUGUST 13: He Kexin…






BEIJING (AP)—Just nine months before the Beijing Olympics, the Chinese government’s news agency, Xinhua, reported that gymnast He Kexin was 13, which would have made her ineligible to be on the team that won a gold medal this week.


In its report Nov. 3, Xinhua identified He as one of “10 big new stars” who made a splash at China’s Cities Games. It gave her age as 13 and reported that she beat Yang Yilin on the uneven bars at those games. In the final, “this little girl” pulled off a difficult release move on the bars known as the Li Na, named for another Chinese gymnast, Xinhua said in the report, which appeared on one of its Web sites, лªÍøºþ±±ÆµµÀ::ºþ±±ÐÂÎÅ ÈÃÊÀ½çÁ˽âºþ±±


The Associated Press found the Xinhua report on the site Thursday morning and saved a copy of the page. Later that afternoon, the Web site was still working but the page was no longer accessible. Sports editors at the state-run news agency would not comment for publication.


If the age reported by Xinhua was correct, that would have meant He was too young to be on the Chinese team that beat the United States on Wednesday and clinched China’s first women’s team Olympic gold in gymnastics. He is also a favorite for gold in Monday’s uneven bars final.

Yang was also on Wednesday’s winning team. Questions have also been raised about her age and that of a third team member, Jiang Yuyuan.
BEIJING - AUGUST 13: He Kexin…



Gymnasts have to be 16 during the Olympic year to be eligible for the games. He’s birthday is listed as Jan. 1, 1992.


Chinese authorities insist that all three are old enough to compete. He herself told reporters after Wednesday’s final that “my real age is 16. I don’t pay any attention to what everyone says.”


Zhang Hongliang, an official with China’s gymnastics delegation at the games, said Thursday the differing ages which have appeared in Chinese media reports had not been checked in advance with the gymnastics federation.


“It’s definitely a mistake,” Zhang said of the Xinhua report, speaking in a telephone interview. “Never has any media outlet called me to check the athletes’ ages.”


Asked whether the federation had changed their ages to make them eligible, Zhang said: “We are a sports department. How would we have the ability to do that?”


“We already explained this very clearly. There’s no need to discuss this thing again.”


The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) has said repeatedly that a passport is the “accepted proof of a gymnast’s eligibility,” and that He and China’s other gymnasts have presented ones that show they are age eligible. The IOC also checked the girls’ passports and deemed them valid.
A May 23 story in the China Daily newspaper, the official English-language paper of the Chinese government, said He was 14. The story was later corrected to list her as 16.


“This is not a USAG issue,” said Steve Penny, president of USA Gymnastics. “The FIG and the IOC are the proper bodies to handle this.”

[Laurent]

I personally have ZERO doubt that those girls are at least 2 years underage - probably more.

I can't believe proof these girls are of age is Chinese government issued passports. Come the fuck on. *still steamed*

[KandyKorn]

Fuckin' cheaters.

[*DIVA!]

I am still pissed also, a whole Country is cheating to win Gold.. And it is being swept under the rug by FIG and the IOC..

[Laurent]

^^ I know.

Nastia Liukin was not allowed to go to Athens in 2004 because she turned 15 that year. Marta Karolyi flat out said that if she'd been of eligible age, she'd have been named to the U.S. team. You have to wonder what she could've done if she'd cheated her way in like I strongly suspect the Chinese have.

[McJag]

Big deal. Like we didn't already know.

[KandyKorn]

It is a big deal. Cheaters never win and winners never cheat. Didn't we all learn that on Sesame Street?

[McJag]

It is a big deal. Cheaters never win and winners never cheat. Didn't we all learn that on Sesame Street?

No-I didn't mean cheating is not a big deal at all. I meant big deal they are trying to hide her age! As if we couldn't see. Pulling the article was no big deal either-we knew. Cheater may think they are winning but karma is a bitch.

[darksithbunny]

I am not surprised. I haven't been watching any of it. I still think it was kinda wrong to let them have it anyways. They treat their people like shit.

[KandyKorn]

No-I didn't mean cheating is not a big deal at all. I meant big deal they are trying to hide her age! As if we couldn't see. Pulling the article was no big deal either-we knew. Cheater may think they are winning but karma is a bitch.

Ooooh, gotcha! I don't understand how they can just deny the facts??? They are there in black and white. Same as a positive in a drug test(which easily disqualifies an athlete).

[S&R's Mom]

This should continue to be investigated and not swept under the rug. I can emagine how quickly the USA would be disqualified had they tried something like this!! China will go to any lenghs to make sure their darlings win the gold

[Mariesoleil]

^^ Yep China and Russia.

[A*O]

Yeah well she didn't win anyway. They will probably whisk her off to a labour camp, never to be seen again.

[Penny Lane]

Whoever the fuck thought this was going to be a peaceful, by-the-book Olympic competition is seriously deluded. Look at their political situation and it's really no surprise. Love how this is probably the last we'll ever hear of this girl, too.

[Laxmobster]

Yeah well she didn't win anyway. They will probably whisk her off to a labour camp, never to be seen again.

Whoever the fuck thought this was going to be a peaceful, by-the-book Olympic competition is seriously deluded. Look at their political situation and it's really no surprise. Love how this is probably the last we'll ever hear of this girl, too.

Totally agree! We knew way before the games even started that it was going to be corrupt.