August 14, 2008 8:12 AM
Do you think those Chinese gymnasts are really 16?
Realizing that speculation on the age and physical characteristics of teenage girls can get pretty icky pretty quickly, just how old do you think those Chinese gymnasts are?
Chinese officials say all their female competitors met the requirement of at least turning 16 during 2008, but the physical appearance of some of the competitors has raised questions, and the controversy is fueled by reports in official Chinese news agencies.
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, http://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 have also been raised about her age and that of a third team member, Jiang Yuyuan.
Think China is cheating on the ages? Do the girls look 16 to you?
August 14, 2008
9:51 AM
Tree writes:
Crap. Those are fighten' terms for Shrub, here comes bring it on again.
August 14, 2008
9:52 AM
SASQUATCH writes:
That crowd sure doesn't look like its on the Michael Phelps' 12,000 calorie per day diet--2 rice cakes a week looks more like it.
August 14, 2008
3:28 PM
There Ain't No Way In Hell writes:
Chinese presses own reports puts one of the girls at 13 and another at 14, even though now, the Chinese officials deny it. Yeah, I believe them about as much as I believe Saddam still has WMD.
August 14, 2008
5:19 PM
ChinaWatch writes:
When will the western world learn?
The Chinese will lie to us, cheat us, and steal from anyone outside China without hesitation.
The Chinese are racists, and feel the people of the western world are mongrels -- unworthy of receiving of the honor of truth from China.
They have nothing but contempt for the west. It's been true for centuries, and it's true today.
When caught (as in the Olympic opening ceremony "lip-sync" and "CG-fireworks" fiascos) they shrug it off as unimportant. And it is -- to them. They don't care what we think, because we are scum.
They are not, and can never be, "friends" or "trading partners". Even during the cold war, the Russians had certain ethics. The Chinese don't. They are dangerous. They will win because westerners cannot comprehend their thought process.
They hate us, and they - not the Russians - will bury us.
August 15, 2008
7:43 AM
Will do anything to be number one writes:
They are no different than us.
Its no accident that for years we dominate in many areas not just the olympics either.
btw. The russians are no friends either.
August 15, 2008
9:41 AM
ChinaWatch writes:
WDATBNO
That kind of statement --"They are no different from us" -- is EXACTLY the problem!
They are VERY different from us!
Until you have lived there you have no idea of HOW different they are -- how much they dispise non-Chinese people in general.
We are absolute amateurs at being racist. They have thousands of years' practice.
You are correct; the Russians are not our friends, either. But they do not have a wholesale disregard for human life the way the Chinese do. Under the proper circumstance, the Chinese leaders would gladly sacrifice half their population to destroy their perceived enemies.
For anyone who thinks this is hyperbole, overstatement, or fear-mongering: you're wrong. It's chillingly accurate.
I hope the "proper circumstance" never occurs to make you believe it.
August 15, 2008
6:20 PM
ted lovell writes:
I would almost guarantee that one maybe two of those girls are of the age of 16. Its incredibly easy to get forged documents of any kind. It might take years to get an accurate answer on this. Meanwhile if it is true our girls won't get the proper recognition for there hard work and dedication and of being the legal age to participate.
August 16, 2008
12:02 AM
ChinaCentral writes:
It's very sad what the Chinese people are teaching their children. When these girls grow up-they will teach their babies the same thing.
Wake up America! See China's TRUE colors. The Chinese come to the U.S. and they are given all the benefits of a U.S. citizen. They receive welfare, food stamps, financial aide at schools, programs to help them with purchasing a home! WTF!!!!! I'm a U.S. citizen and I did not qualify to receive Medical! But yet we help all these Chinese???? Where are my tax dollars?!? This is bullshit!
They put lead in the toys that WE purchase for our children. They have "massage" places. They come "MOOCH", what's next?
August 16, 2008
1:13 PM
Rob writes:
The Chinese Gymnists are most certainly underage. Why not check the urine specimens for estrogen levels ? Or has urine checked for doping been discarded? Even so, would gold be taken away and by whom? Methinks the whole tv world questioned the age of 3-4 of the "team".
August 16, 2008
8:28 PM
hello writes:
the gymnst are actully 11 to 12 but the olympic comitee cant actually disqulify them because they hav fake passports that say they are over 16
August 16, 2008
8:45 PM
bombomboom writes:
I honestly don't think that those girls are sixteen. They look too innocent and eager to please to be sixteen. If they are under the age of sixteen I would be emberassed to be from China because they are supposed to set an example for the world and they are the host country.
August 18, 2008
6:10 AM
SoUpset writes:
I am not an American but I have been watching the Olypmics especially the gymnastics part and I was sure that these girls are not old enough. I think it is an outrage that they are doing this. Shawn and Nastia are old enough, they are deserving of their medals. I wish we could demand that the IOC does a through biological investigation and then take away all their medals - all the girls that are under the age limits need to lose their medals and this should not be done quietly! This must be made very public on every continent. I am just soooo upset at this - it is so unfair!
August 18, 2008
7:26 AM
Z writes:
Think China is cheating on the ages? Do the girls look 16 to you?
Gee I didn't know there were republicans in China
August 18, 2008
9:40 AM
Anonymous writes:
The government of China takes the US Liberal View. Ignore the laws we don't like or that don't further our agenda.
Hooray for Chinese Democraticity.
August 19, 2008
1:29 AM
Michelle writes:
I think all but one gymnast are pre-puberty GIRLS, not women. And that one, who was supposedly 20, looked more like about 14 or 15. It was ridiculous hearing the announcers call them "women" when they don't even have hips, breasts, and permanent teeth all grown in! Puberty in girls begins usually with small breast development...that is around 11 to 13-ish in all races. Most of the asian gymnasts had very little evidence of breast development. Did they look like they could bear children? No. Just look at the difference btwn them and all the other country's women. It may be true that Asians tend to be slim and less well-endowed in the "asset dept", but come on, they are KIDS obviously. Take a look at the Chinese woman handing out the bouquets to those little girls. That woman is obviously over 16. She and those kids look a good 10-15 years apart in age, don't they? The poster who said the girls looked like eager-to-please kids was right, that is exactly the image they portrayed....because they were that indeed, weren't they, China?
August 19, 2008
3:34 AM
Semperfi writes:
They are older than Mao. The Chinese communist party said so. they have their passports to prove it. fairness and sportmanship are worth a penny to chinese government.
August 21, 2008
7:44 PM
Leslie Wetter writes:
The moment the PRC girls jumped on the floor with their trained smiles I knew something was off. Not one hint of female maturation showed on any of these young girls. Granted any female under stringent athletic demands may not have a normal menstruation period. Yet even they develop breasts. These children had no hint of breast development, or curves. Even if they were starved there would still be a change in skeletal development, meaning curves by age 13. I mean China girls have been noted for very young prostitution. In this case most men like breasts. Talking teeth I saw some adult teeth developing in one smile but several of the winning smiles showed missing teeth. In my opinion this was not a woman's olympic team this was a PRC female children's olympic team. Rules are to be followed regardless of our government kiss ups. Every medal for the female team should be removed.
August 21, 2008
8:01 PM
Leslie Wetter writes:
The moment the PRC girls jumped on the floor with their trained smiles I knew something was off. Not one hint of female maturation was noticeable. These children had no hint of breast development, or curves. Even if they were starved there would still be a defined change, curves, in skeletal development by age 12 (pre-adolescence). As athletes there would be curves from muscular development. These children showed none of the above.
August 21, 2008
8:01 PM
Leslie Wetter writes:
The moment the PRC girls jumped on the floor with their trained smiles I knew something was off. Not one hint of female maturation was noticeable. These children had no hint of breast development, or curves. Even if they were starved there would still be a defined change, curves, in skeletal development by age 12 (pre-adolescence). As athletes there would be curves from muscular development. These children showed none of the above.