" Aug. 14 (Bloomberg) -- The Chinese government news agency Xinhua reported nine months ago that gold medal-winning gymnast He Kexin was 13 years old, which would make her ineligible to compete in the Beijing Games, the Associated Press said.
The Nov. 3 Xinhua report from China's Cities Game was found on its Web site by the Associated Press, the news agency said. The story was later inaccessible, though the AP said it saved a copy of the page. Sports editors at the state-run news agency declined to comment on the report, AP said.
If the age cited in the report is correct, He fails to meet the minimum age to participate in the Games, the AP said. Gymnasts must turn at least 16 in the Olympic year to be eligible. He's birthday is listed as Jan. 1, 1992, and she weighs 73 pounds (33 kilograms), according to the Olympic Games Web site.
An official with China's gymnastics delegation told the AP that the Xinhua report and others were incorrect. The International Gymnastics Federation told the news agency He's passport, which is the accepted proof of eligibility, shows she is age eligible. The International Olympic Committee also checked the passports of He and other Chinese gymnasts and deemed them valid, the news agency said."
All that and some dodgy scoring for Nastia Liukin of the United States, the Chinese really do understand how to win the subjectively scored events such as gymnastics and boxong.
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