280 comments

• andy

  I’m Chinese, proud to be one, yet I can see this logically. He KeXin is born in 1994, according to several (not just one) older Chinese media sources starting from 2006 (Chengdu Sports Bureau website, China Daily Newspaper, Liu Peng – director of general administration of sport for China in Wuhan city). In a nutshell, these sources reported her actual age from 2006-2007 as she entered the gymnastic sport in China as a rising star.

  And if she is really 14 as of 2008, then it’s not at all a case of sore loser syndrome for USA. It’s a matter of not playing by the rules. If the rules are legally changed and the minimum age is 14, then there’d be no controversy. No one would have any problems. All countries can openly use younger girls and everyone would be playing by the same rules.

  Lots of other rules are broken all the time and athletes are disqualified, because those rules are normally investigated to the extent where you discover the truth. Doping is easily verified beyond a shadow of a doubt. However, as far as gymnastics, all they do is a simple passport check (almost like an honor system, or if you say you are this age, then you are), without any extensive verification or investigation as in the case of doping and other more easily verifiable offenses.

  Also, no, obviously the Chinese people as a whole is not shady. It would be wrong to generalize any groups of people. But the government that has a lot of say in a lot of things (don’t even try to debate me that this is not true), is the shady entity. Don’t get me wrong. I’m proud to be Chinese and proud that the PRC is making steady improvements, but it will take a few more years to reach its potential and be respected in every way.

  19 August 2008, 7:24 am

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• Mango

  to me, what’s amazing is that it seems like most of the people that are commenting seem to be from China..esp the top three.i would assume ur writing for the Chinese gov to try to take the negativity of ur gov. pathetic!

  19 August 2008, 7:25 am

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• chan

  A young girl:
  “I have put in a lot of efforts and time in polishing my skills in gymnastic.”
  “I hope to be a winner for what I have been trained hard for”.
  “Now, my dream came true, I have won a Gold Medal, many said that I look like just (underage) too young.”
  “I thought it is good to have a nice younger look.”
  “My instructor did not train me to look older for the competitions.”
  “I have proved to the World, even “young looking” can do better than “older looking””.
  “Ultimately, I believe that it is my skill level that win the Gold Medal in the competitons.”

  19 August 2008, 7:31 am

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• ferrante

  Interest info per Wikipedia, which is continuesly updated:

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/He_Kexin

  “There has been a controversy as to her actual age. Her 2008 passport and the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG) list her date of birth as January 1, 1992,[3][4] which would make her 16 years & 220 days old during the 2008 Olympic opening ceremonies and therefore old enough to compete. However, her age as of 2008 was reported by the Chinese press as 14 in news articles[4][2][5] that were later taken off-line.[6][7] Her birthdate has also been given by the Chengdu Sports Bureau and other registration sources as January 1, 1994, which would make her 14 years, & 220 days old during the Opening ceremonies, and therefore too young to participate in the 2008 Summer Olympics.[4][2][6][7] In addition, in a November 2007 speech in Wuhan, Chinese sporting official Liu Peng introduced He as a 13-year-old.[2][7] On August 2, the International Olympic Committee stated that they would not investigate the discrepancy in He’s reported age, stating that the FIG’s own verification system would be acceptable proof of eligibility. The FIG, in responding to the situation, stated that they would not ask for additional proof of age beyond the passport already supplied by Chinese officials.[8][9] However, the matter continues to be a source of controversy among members of the gymnastics community and the media.[6]”

  19 August 2008, 8:21 am

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• ferrante

  Andy, check state ALL the facts, not just some that you’d like to address.
  You said that you are looking at this logically.

  There are multiple places where He Kexin was reported as being born in 1992. Are you dismissing, denying that fact ??

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/He_Kexin

  “There has been a controversy as to her actual age. Her 2008 passport and the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG) list her date of birth as January 1, 1992,[3][4] which would make her 16 years, & 220 days old during the 2008 Olympic opening ceremonies and therefore old enough to compete. However, her age as of 2008 was reported by the Chinese press as 14 in news articles[4][2][5] that were later taken off-line.[6][7] Her birthdate has also been given by the Chengdu Sports Bureau and other registration sources as January 1, 1994, which would make her 14 years, & 220 days old during the Opening ceremonies, and therefore too young to participate in the 2008 Summer Olympics.[4][2][6][7] In addition, in a November 2007 speech in Wuhan, Chinese sporting official Liu Peng introduced He as a 13-year-old.[2][7] On August 2, the International Olympic Committee stated that they would not investigate the discrepancy in He’s reported age, stating that the FIG’s own verification system would be acceptable proof of eligibility. The FIG, in responding to the situation, stated that they would not ask for additional proof of age beyond the passport already supplied by Chinese officials.[8][9] However, the matter continues to be a source of controversy among members of the gymnastics community and the media.[6]”

  19 August 2008, 8:27 am

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• ferrante

  Per Andy (comment#38)
  “And if she is really 14 as of 2008, then it’s not at all a case of sore loser syndrome for USA. It’s a matter of not playing by the rules. If the rules are legally changed and the minimum age is 14, then there’d be no controversy. No one would have any problems. All countries can openly use younger girls and everyone would be playing by the same rules.”

  You say… “if the rules are legally changed to age 14, then there’s no controversy.”

  BUT, the current point is the current age IS 16. that’s the problem. nothing to do with sore loser or gold medals. nothing to do with one country vs. another country.

  just the facts, ma’mam.

  19 August 2008, 8:34 am

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• ferrante

  These 2 pretty much sums it up:
  1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/He_Kexin

  2) http://gymnasticsnstuff.wordpress.com/2008/07/27/another-article-with-proof-he-kexin-is-underage/

  In November 2007, Liu Peng introduced her as an “13-year-old uneven-bar gymnast.

  ON May 23 2008 story in the China Daily newspaper, the official English-language paper of the Chinese government, had He’s age as 14.

  On the Chengdu Sports Bureau website – Chengdu is the capital of Sichuan province in southwest China – a file dated January 2006 shows He Kexin as being born Jan. 1, 1994.

  19 August 2008, 8:46 am

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• Spelunker

  Somebody in Beijing with a registered journalist’s credentials needs to go to the next IOC press conference and ask about He Kexin’s identity card. The Chinese government probably found a way to alter that as well, but at least it’s another way to verify her age.
  It’s time the international press exercise their promised press freedom and press the IOC into action with evidence presented on open laptops.

  Here’s an article that discusses this issue and addresses why the IOC is stuybbornly resisting any investigation beyond examining He Kexin’s fake passport.

  http://bleacherreport.com/articles/47945-government-conspiracy-invades-the-olympicsagain

  19 August 2008, 11:26 am

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• Spelunker

  Somebody in Beijing with a registered journalist’s credentials needs to go to the next IOC press conference and ask about He Kexin’s identity card. The Chinese government probably found a way to alter that as well, but at least it’s another way to verify her age.
  It’s time the international press exercise their promised press freedom in Beijing and press the IOC into action with evidence presented on open laptops.

  Here’s an article that discusses this issue and addresses why the IOC is stubbornly resisting any investigation beyond examining He Kexin’s fake passport.

  http://bleacherreport.com/articles/47945-government-conspiracy-invades-the-olympicsagain

  19 August 2008, 11:27 am

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• nancy

  Andy, You are correct, no one should be including all Chinese people in their comments. If HeK is actually underage to compete I blame the powers that control this. This isn’t a choice made by her or the people of China. Just as the Iraqi war isn’t the choice of all Americans, but a government decision. Yet, it seems, the hatred by extremists include all Americans. All this is so unfair, but I suppose just human nature.

  If HK is underage then she should not be allowed to keep the gold medal. Not because it would punish her but because it is the fair thing.

  Meanwhile, I have to say that I believe the olympics have been wonderful, the opening ceremonies the best I have ever seen and the NBC coverage has been great.

  19 August 2008, 12:24 pm

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