Report: Hacker Uncovers Proof Chinese Gymnast Is Underage

Report: Hacker Uncovers Proof Chinese Gymnast Is Underage

www.foxnews.com

A determined U.S. computer expert has delved into cached pages on the Internet to unearth Chinese official documents showing a gymnast who took gold in the uneven bars competition, edging the U.S.'s Nastia Liukin, may indeed be underage.

Controversy over whether He Kexin is under the minimum age of 16 has surrounded her participation in the Beijing Olympics. The latest challenge over the age of the tiny Olympian comes from the discovery through a cyberspace maze of Chinese official documents listing her date of birth.





[edit on 21-8-2008 by LiquidMirage]

Gymnastic being my favorite event, I watched every televised performance over the past two weeks. I, as have many others, noticed that several of the Chinese gymnasts looked as if they were underage. Now possible proof has been uncovered that He Kexin is actually 14, not 16 as both she and the Chinese government have claimed. If it wants to retain any level of credibility and uphold the Olympic spirit the IOC needs to fully investigate this matter. If this new evidence turns out to be true then the IOC needs to strip Kexin of the medals and, since the Chinese government was involved in the lie, China should be banned from at least the next Olympic Games in 2010 and 2012.

www.foxnews.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Here is another link to the same story from the Times Online.

Times Online

YOU! YOU ASK TOO MANY QUESTIONS!!! Do not make the Chinease government come over to your house to shoot you! She is everybit of 16. The Chinease government has known her age from the day they took her from her momas arms to raise her at the Olympics factory!

She is what ever age they say she is. And they have the authentic chinease governmental records to prove. Be a patriot, stop asking questions!

lol. Seriously, if she can compete against people who have had more training than her over the years... let her keep the medal.
Just make sure it doesn't happen again, we don't need parents forcing their 8 year old into it for fame.

reply to post by johnsky


Except youth is really a huge advantage in gymnastics. Every year the athletes lose suppleness and flexibility through aging. This is one case where youth trumps experience.

reply to post by mythatsabigprobe


Ah well, I'm no gymnast. The sports I played usually gave the older, bigger, experienced guys a better chance... contact sports and the like.

Originally posted by johnsky
lol. Seriously, if she can compete against people who have had more training than her over the years... let her keep the medal.
Just make sure it doesn't happen again, we don't need parents forcing their 8 year old into it for fame.

As a former gymnast (though not this good lol) and one who watches this sport.....I agree that a 14 yr old should be allowed to compete.

But that is not the issue.

The issue is: China LIED and has been deceptive and should be held accountable and NOT be rewarded for it.

Sucks for the girl....as she was just a pawn by her country. But rules are rules. Dont like them, change them.

Originally posted by johnsky
lol. Seriously, if she can compete against people who have had more training than her over the years... let her keep the medal.
Just make sure it doesn't happen again, we don't need parents forcing their 8 year old into it for fame.

I could not disagree more

the younger you are -- the more flexible you are...the less you weigh...etc.

thats why age restrictions exist.

This isnt a boxing match where weight limits exist to protect lightweights vs. heavy weights

it has everything to do with different aspects of athletic capability.

Whether or not people think that a 14 year should be allowed to compete is irrelevant. The IOC has rules on age and they state that the athlete must be 16 or turn 16 during the year of the event. But I do agree with you on one point; China’s action must not be rewarded by allowing them to get away with it if this is true. However, they have done this before and got away with it.

You have to feel for the poor gymnast who probably has little to say about this.

Gymnastics is probably more manipulative of their charges than any other Olympic sport.

Sad. I hope they learn a lesson from this and at least stop doing it in the future. I can't quite get behind stripping the unfortunate gymnast for a fault of her handlers.

reply to post by Badge01


She was asked her age in an earlier interview. First she paused and then stated that she is 16. So again, if this new evidence turns out to be true then she lied knowing that she was breaking rules. Even kids have the responsibility to be honest and not cheat; not just adults. Taking the medals from her will be appropriate.

But what they didn't tell you is that she is really a MAN!
As are some members of the US Team...
...and Michael Phelps father is a dolphin.

reply to post by xEphon


Michael Phelps is Poseidon.

But back to the Chinese girls. I am amazed at them. They are fantastic, and I am very happy i got to see the display of skill that they showed.

But they broke the rules. Last night we saw an American 200m sprinter get DQ'd for stepping on the line, while an Antilles sprinter got away with it when he did it at the exact same time. EXACT, as shown in the images on the news. Rules are rules, and our sprinter lost his Bronze medal (after the freakshow, Usain Bolt, obliterated the field).

We have seen the rules held up. But in gymnastics we haven't. We have seen them warped and twisted to cover for China. They broke the rules. Strip the medal, and ban them from any event that they were caught cheating in for the next Olympic cycle. They can still participate, but not in an event they were caught cheating in.

That is my 2 cents, which is worth less and less everyday.

reply to post by LiquidMirage


Though I can't disagree with you, I suspect part of the motivation for her apparently dissembling may have just been fear.

I think the way to go is to have severe penalties for the coaching staff if future instances of fake age submissions are uncovered.

They spend a lot of money to test for PEDs (Performance Enhancing Drugs), but so far this has had tacit approval? Doesn't seem fair since being younger is as much a performance enhancer as taking hormones in a sense.

So, point taken. I just wouldn't have the heart to get behind penalizing the gymnasts who are probably under a lot of pressure to uphold the lie foisted upon them.

2 cents.

well... if it was paramount to some national pride thing - like when the cold war was all the rage, then i'd say heck ya, let's debate this till the end.

but then i remember that its gymnastics which matters for what? 5 days every 4 years?

Why can't they leave the kid alone? she won the medal with her abilty, i couldn't care less if she was 10, she won, its beginning to sound like sour grapes to me, bad losers, not doing much for the respect of these whiners who won't drop it.

BTW i hope this HACKER is going to be extradited to face 70 years in prison? after all did he not just break into Chinese Government computers?
its ok for him to break the law, but a little Girl can't keep her glory?

Originally posted by azzllin

BTW i hope this HACKER is going to be extradited to face 70 years in prison? after all did he not just break into Chinese Government computers?

its ok for him to break the law, but a little Girl can't keep her glory?

If she really is 14, then its okay for a government to lie about an athletes age and cheat the Olympic community, but a hacker trying to uncover the truth and expose the lies and crime deserves a life sentence?


Nay, they're both in the wrong, but the hacker's crime is a noble one.

Considering China's record for human rights, I wouldn't be surprised if this poor young girl isn't in fear of her life if she comes forward and tells the truth about her age. Maybe she lied because she doesn't want to be run over by a tank?

The Chinese government is lying. They've been lying through the entire Olympic ordeal. Punish them by banning them from the next Olympic games, but let this poor girl keep her medal. Her talents were extraordinary for any age.

Watch this video:

Kexin He Takes Gold on Uneven Bars

She deserves a medal for that.

China, on the other hand, deserves kicked straight the heck out of the Olympics for their lies and manipulation surrounding not just this, but the entire event. Reference any of the numerous reports about journalists' Internet restrictions, just for a start.

www.radioaustralia.net.au...
Chinese grandmas earn 're-education' for protesting.

Although a little off topic,The Chinese gov have no limit to what they will do to there own citizens. sickening!! If ever there was a democracy in most need, it would be in China. 100% this was not this little girls fault.


[edit on 21-8-2008 by all2human]

[edit on 21-8-2008 by all2human]

[edit on 21-8-2008 by all2human]