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Age Questions Surround Chinese Gold-Medalists

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 15, 2008

BEIJING - 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 also have 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 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 that 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."

The International Gymnastics Federation 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.

Empire State Building Shows Olympic Spirit

NEW YORK - The Empire State Building is shining with Olympic spirit: Each of its top four sides are being lit with the different colors of 66 competing countries.

The Empire State Building's manager says it is the first time the iconic building has split the tower's sides with four separate country's lights.

The lighting honors the top 66 countries taking part in the Summer Games in Beijing, based on the number of athletes from each country. The lights began on Aug. 7 and continue through the end of the games on Aug. 24. The first and last day's lights honor the U.S. and China.

West Coast Will Stay On Delay

West Coast viewers will continue to see NBC's swimming coverage on a three-hour delay, even if Michael Phelps is in position on the final day to break Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medals at a single Olympics.

NBC has been airing the swimming events live on a feed for the eastern and central time zones, but offering the same programming three hours later on delay for West-Coast viewers.

2 Dead After Crash Near Venue

Two people involved in a crash near the Olympic rowing venue have died, the Beijing Olympic organizing committee said Thursday.

A bus from the athletes' village collided with a van Wednesday on the way to the Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park.

Committees Face Tough Questions

Things got a bit heated at the daily media briefing with officials of the International Olympic Committee and Beijing Organizing Committee.

Reporters pressed the officials about China's broken promises in regards to human rights issues and freedom of the press. A British television reporter asked: "The Chinese government lied through its teeth about human rights. Isn't the IOC ashamed?"

Giselle Davies, the IOC director of communications, responded: "There was certainly some hope and aspirations made in 2001 that the Games would have a positive impact on the wider social framework, and I think we have to note that there have been enormous steps forward in numbers of areas. You're here to report on the Games. The world is watching, and there will be commentaries made appraising how the Games have had an impact."

Not satisfied with her answer, reporters fired a few more questions on the subject before Wang Wei, the executive vice president of BOCOG, embarked on an impassioned speech in which he chastised the international media for being too critical.

"The Olympic Games coming to China will help China to open up further and to reform better. The fact shows that after 30 years of the reform, China has developed quickly, people enjoy more freedom, people's welfare and economic situations have improved a lot. Everybody can see that."

Ann Arbor Diner Kept Phelps Going

It was easy to tell when swimmer Michael Phelps was in the midst of a particularly grueling training period.

The door to Benny's Family Dining in Ann Arbor, near the University of Michigan campus, would swing open around 7 a.m. And in would walk Phelps, still groggy after the day's first workout, sliding into a booth near the front of the diner - away from the smokers seated in back.

"A bowl of rice pudding, always before the meal," said Benny Shehaj, the restaurant's owner. "Then came his 'Hungry Man.'"

Phelps' typical breakfast order: Three eggs over easy, hash brown potatoes, five sausages, wheat toast. Depending on his appetite, he'd request a side of bacon.

Where does he get all that energy to win gold medals?

It comes from more than just the 8,000 to 10,000 calories a day Phelps consumes to keep his motor running.

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