August 22, 2008

Is Chinese Gymnast Old Enough?

They're investigating whether this Chinese girl is old enough to qualify for the Olympics. Coincidentally she made the age qualification by ONE DAY.

I think we're going to find that the actual rule is not that you have to be any particular age to be in the Olympics, but that you have to have a passport that SAYS you're a certain age.

China's He Kexin... was registered as being born on January 1, 1992.

There have been persistent media allegations that He had competed in earlier tournaments under a later birthdate, and on Thursday an American computer expert said he had uncovered Chinese state documents that proved she was 14 and not 16.

The caption on a photograph published by Chinese state news agency Xinhua last year referred to "13-year-old He Kexin," while China Daily reported in May that she was 14.

An IOC official said the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) had been asked to look into "discrepancies" over He's age, but others stressed she had already been cleared to compete.

"Everything that has been received so far shows we have no problem of eligibility for these competitors," said the IOC's sports director Christophe Dubi, adding FIG had asked the Chinese national gymnastics federation to investigate.


Posted by jackhodgson at August 22, 2008 06:00 AM