The He Kexin File: Evidence She’s Underage

A snapshot of a news report from Xinhua dated November 3, 2007 mentions He Kexin as being 13-years-old. (The Epoch Times)

Mounting evidence suggests Chinese gold medal-winning women gymnasts are underage

Facing mounting evidence that at least two of China’s medal-winning women gymnasts were underage, the IOC was forced into the awkward position Thursday of ordering a further probe into the ages of the gymnasts. 

After initial dismissing the claims, the IOC said Thursday morning that there had been “additional elements on this subject.”

Emmanuelle Moreau, IOC’s Media Relations Manager in Beijing, said in an email to The Epoch Times that, “the IOC has therefore asked the International Gymnastics Federation to endeavour to find out more. We understand they are doing so immediately.”

The gymnasts in question—gold and bronze medalist Yang Yilin and double-gold winner He Kexin—are alleged to have competed in the Olympics while being under the legal age requirement of 16 years.

The Epoch Times was able to independently identify three official documents on websites run by China’s official sports governing body that list He Kexin’s birthdate as January 1, 1994, making her only 14. Two of the documents also list Yang Yilin as being 14.

The Epoch Times has also been able to find at least nine articles published in state-run Chinese media in the past 12 months that list He’s birth date as January 1 1994, not 1992 as the Chinese authorities now claim.

One article in the Shenghuo Bao (Life Daily), dated Nov. 5, 2007 refers to the then-13-year-old He Kexin. The Beijing Evening Post, Dec. 12, 2007 again states the girl’s age: “At just 13, this newcomer has not only completed the ‘Li Ya Flying Flip’ with ease, but performs in competitions with unusual stability for someone her age.”

Another report on Nov. 3, 2007 from Xinhua, the official mouthpiece of the Communist party also listed He as being 13 last year.

Chinese officials have dismissed the widespread reports in their own state-run media on the gymnasts’ ages. When questioned last week, Zhang Hongliang—an official with China’s gymnastics delegation at the Games—said the reports were “a mistake” and that “never has any media outlet called me to check the athletes’ ages.”

[caption id=“attachment_72553” align=“alignleft” width=“320” caption="A cached document, which has been removed from the website of China