China Age Controversy to Be Investigated
Thursday August 21, 2008
 He Kexin Photo © Clive Brunskill / Getty Images |
According to The Epoch Times, Emmanuelle Moreau, the IOC Media Relations Manager in Beijing, wrote in an email that there were, "additional elements on this subject", and that “the IOC has therefore asked the International Gymnastics Federation to endeavour to find out more. We understand they are doing so immediately.”
Last week I said that I didn't think the IOC would re-investigate the case after earlier declaring that the gymnasts' passports were in order. It's thought that what convinced the IOC to act was the evidence published in a blog by Stryde Hax.
Mike Walker, the author of the blog, found bars gold medalist He Kexin's birth date listed as 01/01/1994 in two excel documents created by the General Administration of Sport of China. She would have to have a 1992 birth year to be eligible to compete in the Games.
It will be very interesting to see what comes of all of this.
The age limit rules in gymnastics
More about the controversy
Comments
I don’t think anything will come of it. It’s just for show to show that they investigated it. China is cheating though, and should be disqualified.
I read this morning that the IOC concluded their investigation (in less than 12 hours) and reported that they did not find any discrepancies in the documents provided by the Chinese gymnastics team to “prove” the age of their athletes. What really angers me is that if someone accused the USA gymnastics team of having an underage athlete the IOC would have launched a legitimate investigation and would not hesitate to strip the team of their medals. The Chinese should be banned from all future Olympics competitions and the IOC administration should be fired/replaced. I hope the US team presses the issue.
This is total BULL S***. Someone was paid off. Everyone knows the Chinese are liars. What gets me is that the IOC doesn’t think this is a big matter. The USA was cheated! If roles were turned, we would have been prosecuted immediately. China should be looked at as untrustworthy individuals, especially the gymnastics federation. Our gymnasts are better, and don’t have to lie or commit fraud! You should be proud of yourselves USA! One day, the truth will come out.
It is always a shame when countries choose to CHEAT rather than follow the rules as others choose to do. Medals won through CHEATING are medals of shame not pride. What kind of message does CHINA send to the youth in their country. Cheating is ok, as long as you win it does not matter if you break the rules. They are disgusting and would surely be howling to the international community if they thought the USA had CHEATED in order to win. Do they not have enough talent to field gymnasts of legal age? SHAME ON CHINA. They have gone to so much effort to put on the proper FACE to the world, what a shame that that their true colors come out anyway.
in my opinion i say who cares about there age i think people need to focus on the judging that is why usa lost and plus we did have an extra fall then them but the the chinese gymnastics wasnt that much more better than the usa especially on floor,in the code of points it says u need to have front and back tumbling and twistina as well as a double salto pass. which hardly of the chinese had so forget the ages i think its the judging