Whatever the results of the investigation into the date of birth of He Kexin, China’s double Olympic gold medallist, I hope we don’t lose sight of the fact that even in the event of any subterfuge the gymnast herself would not be the one to blame.
The International Olympic Committee has asked the gymnastics federation to check He’s date of birth of following claims that she might be under the minimum age to compete.
He herself was given a pretty rough ride by reporters during press conferences at these Games, with at least one journalist trying to catch her out by asking her what her star sign was.
She has also been asked to “prove” in a press conference that she really was 16. You can’t help wondering how she was supposed to do that.
He won team gold and a gold on the asymmetric bars. She was registered as having been born on January 1, 1992. Gymnasts must turn 16 in the year of the Games to be allowed to compete.
UPDATE: The International Gymnastics Federation has begun analysing documents from the Chinese, the organisation said in a statement on Saturday.
“The Federation has received a number of documents from the Chinese Gymnastics Federation, including passports, identity cards and family booklets,” the FIG said in a statement.
“All information is in Chinese and the (federation) is making as thorough analysis as possible of the papers. This process may take some time, but in due course, the FIG will make a full report of our findings to the International Olympic Committee.”
It doesn’t sound like there is going to be any advance on this before the end of the Games.
PHOTO: Gold medallist He Kexin (L) of China kisses silver medallist Nastia Liukin of the U.S. during the medal presentation ceremony for the women’s uneven bars final during the artistic gymnastics competition at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games August 18, 2008. REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi
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Stryde Hax’s evidence is completely worthless. He wasn’t even aware of the birthplace discrepancy until someone who could read Chinese pointed it out to him. Other than the fact that the Chinese gymnasts look young, is there ANY actual evidence that they ARE underage? Anything?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtB5VLxOB sQ
- Posted by CCNeither He nor her parents nor any chinese authority
has ever had any respect for the age limit rule. She
was quoted in a chinese publication in which her age
was stated in line with the Stryde Hax internet info.
She said she thought her chances were very good in the
upcoming olympics. Either she was oblivious to the age
requirement or she didn’t know about it. BTW there
is evidence that few chinese are aware of the age requirement. Let them carry on their charade.
The real investigation should be of the IOC. The
IOC chairman should resign immediately and allow a
full scale investigation as to how this travesty got
this far.
One solution to the gymnastics problem would be to
- Posted by john lyonraise the age up to 21. Does anybody think that
the chinese wouldn’t do just as well then? Leave
it this way and it borders on a freek show.
I think she really is old enough and shes done more than enough to prove that, 14, 15 OR 16 shes still so young to accomplish such an incredible achievement and she should be rewarded for this. This row is just taking the light away from all the hard work and dedication she has put in. In my oppinion, yes the olympics is a huge pressure on young athletes but no, there shuoulnt really even be an age limit, or at least lower it. If a gymnast is ready at a younger age let her have her moment of glory. Age shouldnt even matter and why is it not the same for all sports then? Our great britain diving team involved a 14 yr old. Leave her alone to enjoy her much earned success.
- Posted by India-Rae@Courtney H:
People under the age 18 are held responsible by parents and government laws. Consider this. The two main governing parties in a child’s life is there to to enforce the idea of responsibility upon a minor, and indeed the punishments for minors are vastly different than that of an adult, because children do not have enough understanding of actions and their consequences. This is a wide held belief, otherwise governments would treat children EXACTLY the same as adults.
However, in He’s case, the two main governing parties are actually enforcing her to cheat. It’s damn hard for any child to go against parents, AND the government, and the wills of so many people.
The two parties expected to help her learn responsibility and consequences, are the ones forcing her to lie. Can you blame a child for being a child? And listening to her elders who have told her for the glory of China, she must lie?
Whoever is responsible, it’s not He, for being manipulated as indeed, the argument of the US is that she’s definitely younger than 16.
Besides, the other gymnast who admitted to participating while she was 14 learned to know that it was wrong for her to, but she was just a child, obeying her parental units.
- Posted by LindaTo Cindy Wan:
Now I know what people like you want from this investigation!
I also don’t agree with cheating, but Asian girl does look younger than her age is. I also hope the investigation could give a full report on this issues.
But it seems like that your people are not expecting if the investigation can come out with the result. What you care is to punish China and strip them of the gold medals. That’s exactly what you like, even when after the investigation ends in the result showing He is indeed of 16 years old.
So the fact is you are not caring about the investigation, you are caring about the gold medals.
Now I can understand it.
- Posted by Michael YangAgree with PC.
But I doubt that if after He is proven being 16, are the Americans accepting the result? The Americans will still keep attacking China, and insists on that the IOC is helping China lie about it. That’s what Americas always do! They always think they are right, but they don’t even know their US government is the biggest liar in the world, but they don’t even care about it. What a joke!
- Posted by Michael YangLinda,
How exactly do you figure that in America a person under 18 can’t make their own choices? Minors can make decisions (though, they are limited) and they can be held responsible for their actions.
- Posted by CourtneyBCar H, Leed,
the chinese government don’t go to individual families and kidnap children from their parents and through them in some military-like sports school. Instead, why kids are young, their various body builds are examines by officials from the sports departments and those who have above average builds are recommended for certain sports (ie, tall for swimming, small and thin for gymnastics, etc..) Then the parents decide whether or not they want to send their children to a special “sport school” where they don’t get as much education as normal kid but get to train in their area of speciality. This sport school start at city level, those who excels goes to province level, and those are really the stars move to the national level. Throughout this whole process, the parents have full say in whether they want their kid to stay or not and can pull out whenever they want. Of course if the coach thinks the kid is very promising, he might pursue the parents to not end the program and officials would come to the parents and convince them to let the kid stay as well but ultimately, the decision are the parents.
Yes I agree there is very little family contact in between and kids rarely gets to go back home once they move to provincial level school. However, it doesn’t mean the kids never get to see their parents again (since more often it is the parents who visit the school rather than the kid going home).
- Posted by LucyI agree with Samuel L. in that there was alot of information leading to the investigation, it has nothing to do with USA vs China like most would lke to think. It all has to do with following the rules and regulations of the sport!
- Posted by jvYou all need to let that low level way of thinking go and think of He, she’s the victim here with her government forcing her to compete.
No matter what the results were, she performed well and should be proud of her performances.
Oh, and, Kevin, it’s the uneven bars, not asymmetrical bars.
Wonderful harmony games , we just ignore any Western media and enjoy China’s gift to the world. Long live Beijing!
- Posted by Lee RuanThe whole world is laughable especially the west. Can’t they leave the Chinese and those great athletes alone? Miss He has done so well and she deserves the medal. If her passport says she’s 16, why is there a need to fuss about?
I don’t think the Chinese government is lying or such. It’s like the USA is acting like a wounded dog because they cannot win. After all, greatness is returning to Asia and nobody can stop…
P.S. I’m not Chinese, I’m Burmese (proud neighbours of China)
- Posted by ShweKywetWow, it scared me reading the blogs. So many wrote as if He “is” underage and Chinese government have falsified the documents and Chinese suddenly became “free press” overnight, before even IOC have completed the investigation ! Wow….atleast He has IOC to give her a fair chance..pity Mr.Saddam.
Well, to be fair, if IOC’s investigation proved that He is indeed underage, then the gold medal should be given to the more deserving individual / team and He together with China’s gymnastic association should and must be punished, no two way to this. But, the bigger question now is : If proven otherwise, will the losers be gracious enough to accept defeat and train harder for next Olympic, and will the media, professional enough to accept the verdict ?……
- Posted by PCAge aside, this debate hides something more sinister. Chinese children are subject to a state run gymnastics policy, and those that appear to be promising athletes are plucked from their families and driven down an athletics route with very little family contact at all.
How can any government sponsor removing children from their families at such a young age?
- Posted by Carl H, Leeds