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GoldenRod
10 years on LIF!
Member since 11/06 26792 total posts
Name:
Shawn
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Chinese news report fuels questions on gymnast's age
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
11:06 AM EDT, August 14, 2008
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, www.hb.xinhuanet.com
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.
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."
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Sounds a little suspicious to me....
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Posted 8/15/08 9:05 AM  |
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Long Island Weddings
Long Island's Largest Bridal Resource |
HillW9608
Hello Summer!
Member since 5/08 5916 total posts
Name:
Hill
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Re: Chinese news report fuels questions on gymnast's age
Yeah, I read that yesterday and it had me thinking..... 
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| Posted 8/15/08 9:07 AM |
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IrishLasss334
I'll be there soon!
Member since 1/08 6549 total posts
Name:
Patty
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Re: Chinese news report fuels questions on gymnast's age
there's another one of those girls too who looks like she's 10..she's got a tooth missing and some others just coming in.
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| Posted 8/15/08 9:20 AM |
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MeNBobs
*****
Member since 4/07 3765 total posts
Name:
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Re: Chinese news report fuels questions on gymnast's age
I don't believe she is 13 either she doesn't look a day older than 7.
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| Posted 8/15/08 9:22 AM |
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anonttcer
BOOOO for fall!
Member since 7/06 10082 total posts
Name:
Meaning a NON ttcer!
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Re: Chinese news report fuels questions on gymnast's age
It's really disgraceful the way things are run in that country.
It's like they just use their citizens in any way possible...
Disgusting... 
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| Posted 8/15/08 9:22 AM |
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ILJ619
LIF Adult
Member since 6/06 1985 total posts
Name:
Irene
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Re: Chinese news report fuels questions on gymnast's age
all those girls look under 16 except the one that was taken away from her parents when she was 3!   they also put so much makeup on them its like they are making them seem so much older...why? hmm!
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| Posted 8/15/08 10:32 AM |
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MrsPJB2007
MBA at your service!
Member since 7/06 12020 total posts
Name:
MJ
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Re: Chinese news report fuels questions on gymnast's age
i don't believe for a second that she's 16!
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| Posted 8/15/08 10:35 AM |
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MsSissy
xoxoxo
Member since 3/07 39159 total posts
Name:
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Re: Chinese news report fuels questions on gymnast's age
It's terrible, that if the reports end up being correct, there is nothing that can be done for the gymnast who lost out them. This will be something always in question.
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| Posted 8/15/08 10:39 AM |
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metsgirlie
How did you get blue eyes?
Member since 11/05 3763 total posts
Name:
LC's Mommy
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Re: Chinese news report fuels questions on gymnast's age
It is not fair. If China had put a team with age eligible girls together there would be no way they would be the US. NOT FAIR!!!
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| Posted 8/15/08 11:17 AM |
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