Reader comments
Media peek into China gymnast's life

Bob G | 5:46 a.m. Aug. 16, 2008

As I watched the chinese gymnast go through their routines my first thoughts were that this team, and many others, are putting such young children through very rigorus routines and they aren't even teenagers yet. I thought how can such young and yet to develope children be considered at their peak? They were ungraceful, cloddy, and lacked smooth routines you'd expect from olympic atheletes. After hearing news reports of what my first impressions were and that there was a minimum age it all clicked. Younger children may be more agile but are still undeveloped physically and mentally. This age of 16 to participate in the olympics seems too young to me and I think it should be raised to a minimum of 18 years old. To participate at age 16 children begin strict training at 12 or younger, well before they are developed physically and mentally. Under age children are still the responsibilty and guidance of the parents, at least in america. Olympic participants should be at or near full developement, physically and mentally to participate. At 16 and younger, they are still growing and learning about themselves, not yet olympic quality athletes.

so sad | 7:37 a.m. Aug. 16, 2008

so sad. the dictatorship wins, the human loses. what a disgrace.

attilathehun | 8:07 a.m. Aug. 16, 2008

Am I the only one horrified and disgusted by this article?

Comments continue below

supersav | 8:25 a.m. Aug. 16, 2008

If you think making up birth dates for the 'tween gymnasts on the girls, oh I mean women's, team from China is bad, just imagine what they told the lip sync girl and the "not cute enough" one. China will stop at nothing to be "perfect."

Just like the Chinese "20 year old" gymnast who nailed high bar as the last competitor in men's gymnastics, the Chinese government is most certainly changing the ages of their athletes for "the good of the country." So I guess it doesn't make it wrong then, or that teaching their billion citizens, especially children, that cheating and lying is ok if it benefits the country.

PATHETIC!!

Stupid media | 8:28 a.m. Aug. 16, 2008

Why didn't they ask the pre-teen, "What day and year were you born?" It is easy to be honest - all you have to do is remember the truth. Remembering what to say when you are lying is hard. If she had given a different date than what was on her "passport". . .

Chome Himonawa | 9:03 a.m. Aug. 16, 2008

Ah, yet another country cheating at the olympic games. How refreshing.

Dan | 9:14 a.m. Aug. 16, 2008

Good article, except this part:

"It wasn't clear what the other games involve, but it sure didn't sound like listening to tunes in your bedroom at home with girlfriends, watching MTV and dreaming about boys."

Come on, Leicester, give me a break. They're world-class gymnasts: of course they're not going to sit around watching MTV all day. Fact is, few teenage Chinese girls of any social standing do tings like that.

Otherwise, good article.

Gosh! | 9:17 a.m. Aug. 16, 2008

You can't leave things like this alone. if she IS thirteen China has one more issue to deal with.

Poor Girl.

Chinese toddlers | 10:09 a.m. Aug. 16, 2008

The Chinese gov't scout these babies out in Pre-schools and daycares, basically "purchase" them from their families (ie, it is for national best interest, and it will bring glory and prosperity to your family if you hand them over to our keeping indefinetely).
These children are WORKED day in and day out, to condition their little bodies to be unbeatable athletes. No reward, no vacation, no childhood. They are national property.
Tell me, how is this ANY DIFFERENT than child-labor in sweat-shops???? This should be ILLEGAL. But leave it to a communist country to do whatever they want to their people and claim it is for national best interest. It makes me furious to see this Chinese olympic toddler team. The IOC should demand x-rays of teeth and their growth plates...the same things forensic pathologists use to determine the age of a body. Asking to "see a passport" (hello, a governemnt issued document, don't you think the Chinese gov't can make any passport/birth certificate they want to?) is simply not going to yield honest information from the Chinese. The IOC should BAN SLAVE CHILD LABOR.

wrz | 10:20 a.m. Aug. 16, 2008

Bob G | 5:46 a.m. - "I thought how can such young and yet to develop children be considered at their peak?"

China, as with other communist countries, is not interested with individual child development. They are interested only in the glorification of the state.

God bless this country | 10:33 a.m. Aug. 16, 2008

Very unfortunate for the actual Chinese gymnasts who probably very well know the truth but are too scared to say anything. Living with a lie is never fun and these young girls will be forced to do it. This form of competition and cheating is worse in my opinion than doping. Why? Because it comes from the top, sort of East Germany and Bulgaria all over again.

These Olympics are a stark reminder of the blessings and freedoms we are afforded as Americans. We often take these for granted and often complain but I would prefer to rise and even potentially fall under a democracy than thrive under a communist regime.

GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!

china | 10:58 a.m. Aug. 16, 2008

That China would cheat so openly is appauling. But so nationalistic. I liked them more when they were communists first, then nationalists.

Do not ask the little girl how old she is, please. A truthful answer will have her sweeping the roads in Tibet.

China thought this would be her day in the sun: $40 billion for this moment in time. She made a mistake.

But her people will never know. How sad.

Anonymous | 11:35 a.m. Aug. 16, 2008

The IOC does all gymnasts a real disservice by not enforcing the existing rules. Why should I or anyone invest 1000's of dollars in my daughters training if only to be cheated out of any ultimate reward. I think all parents involved in gymnastics should withdraw from training then all schools, coaches, ref's sponsors, suppliers of equipment and any others who make money from the sport can place TRUE pressure on the IOC. SHAME ON THE IOC I encourage everyone to boycott all gymnastics competitions and ALL SPONSORS OF THE GAMES. And for China's 2004 medal winners who have disclosed that they were indeed underage the IOC must rescind their medals one ans all.

Daddy Warbucks | 12:04 p.m. Aug. 16, 2008

Boycott all IOC sponsors,product & equipment manufacturers,coaches,ref's,training facilities and withdraw your children from gymnastics now. Why should I or anyone spend 1,000's of dollars on training and equipment when there is no real hope to win for my daughter. If the people who make money off of this sport cannot or will not place real (financial) pressure on the IOC to fix this, then they should not be involved they have no commitment to the sport, only to the money. Ten's of thousands of children's commitment to the sport are devalued by this IOC travesty. The Chinese medals awarded in 2004 to girls who later admitted to being to young MUST be rescinded.

Where's the IOC? | 1:09 p.m. Aug. 16, 2008

It's amazing how the IOC was willing to let the Salt Lake Games be the sacrifice for their horrible system yet turn ignorant when the ages of the Chineese gymnasts is an OBVIOUS sham. What do those colors, rings, anthems, and medals mean again?

Boycot China | 7:31 p.m. Aug. 16, 2008

I am not going to support China anymore. I have had it with their beautiful women, excellent gymnasts, and pirated products. It's time we take a stand and stop the revolution from taking over the world! Boycott anything Chinese - including their food. It's time we go back to when everything was made in Japan. The world will thank us!

AL | 11:14 p.m. Aug. 16, 2008

When I first saw these little girls I knew they were not 16, at least three of them. Did you ever stop to think that the judges are being paid off? Did you ever stop to think that the Chinese have threatened the girls and the judges to win at any cost? Just a thought....

If you are inclined to disagree than think about this. Would you go against a government that has little or no respect for human life? These girls are forces to lie. They also will be competing in four years. I wonder how old they will claim to be then....

Communism | 12:17 a.m. Aug. 17, 2008

The most chilling part of the article for me was when they asked her what she would like to do after gymnastics and the coach interrupts and says "It's to soon. She hasn't done enough gymnastics yet."
!!!
Shouldn't that be the gymnasts' decision! I wonder how the coach is in with it. Are they forced just like the gymnasts or are they pressured with violence or jail if they fail? Or are they in bed with the communist monsters that want to work these children to death. (They have nearly worked Yao Ming to death already!)
China should NEVER have been given Olympics in the first place! We have rewarded these despicable Communist leaders for their horrible, in-human treatment of their citizens, the destruction of the environment, and the way they've lied, cheated, stolen, and murdered their way through the world.
It has to stop. For the people's sake. For the children like these gymnasts. Enough is enough.

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Julie Jacobson, Associated Press

Nine months before the Beijing Olympics, the Chinese government's news agency, Xinhua, reported that He Kexin was 13, which would make her ineligible to be on the team that won a gold medal this week. Questions linger about two other girls' ages.