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IOC to Probe Chinese Gymnast's Age

US computer experts uncovers Chinese documentation listing age as 14

By Jess Kilby, Newser User

Posted Aug 22, 2008 3:53 AM CDT

(Newser) – The International Olympic Committee has launched an investigation to determine if Chinese gymnastics gold medalist He Kexin is under the minimum age of 16, after a computer security expert turned up a document indicating that she's 14. Mike Walker yesterday posted an account of his search, in which he found official records listing her date of birth as January 1, 1994, on his website, reports the Times of London.

The records had been removed from a government site, but Walker found them cached on Chinese search engine Baidu. The IOC had ignored earlier references to the document published by the New York Times, after Chinese officials offered a copy of her passport listing her birth as January 1, 1992. Time magazine reports that documents show two other Chinese gymnasts who also appear extremely young may also be underage.

[Images (2)]

[Quotes (1)]

Chinese gymnast He Kexin poses with one of her gold medals on Aug. 18. Officials are investigating claims that the Chinese lied about He's age so she would meet minimum requirements to compete. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)

Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci was only 14 when she won her first gold medal in 1976. The minimum age was bumped up to 15 in 1981, and to 16 in 1997. (Magnum Photos)

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How official are these documents? Pretty dang official— they were issued by the General Administration of Sport of China. - Mike Walker, the American computer expert who discovered documents that state Chinese gymnast He Kexin is only 14 years old

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IOC to Probe Chinese Gymnast's Age