proof China's He is less then 16 years old?

[nthfinity]

Report: Hacker Uncovers Proof Chinese Gymnast Is Underage

Thursday, August 21, 2008
AP

He Kexin
He Kexin

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A determined U.S. computer expert has delved into cached pages on the Internet to unearth Chinese official documents showing a gymnast who took gold in the uneven bars competition, edging the U.S.'s Nastia Liukin, may indeed be underage.
Controversy over whether He Kexin is under the minimum age of 16 has surrounded her participation in the Beijing Olympics. The latest challenge over the age of the tiny Olympian comes from the discovery through a cyberspace maze of Chinese official documents listing her date of birth.
She may not look as if she has reached the minimum competing age of 16, but China said her passport, issued in February, gives her birthday as Jan. 1, 1992. The International Olympic Committee said proof from her passport is good enough.
The latest unofficial investigation was carried out by computer security expert for the Intrepidus Group, whose site, Stryde Hax, revealed a detailed forensic search for He’s age.
Click here for the Stryde Hax site.

First he simply tried Google, only to find that an official listing by the Chinese sports administration that had given her age could no longer be accessed. Then he tried the Google cache, only to find that He’s name had been removed.
Finally, he tried the cache of Chinese search engine Baidu. There, he found that Baidu lists two spreadsheets in He's name, both giving her date of birth as January 1, 1994 — making her 14 years and 220 days old and too young to compete at the Beijing games.
The lists were compiled by the General Administration of Sport of China.
Even before anyone arrived in Beijing, American media investigations accused China of fielding three athletes below the 16-year-old minimum age threshold. Bela Karolyi, the former U.S. head coach, then reheated the issue by claiming that China “are using half-people” and that their flouting of the regulations was so obvious that “these people think we are stupid.”
Liukin, who finished second to He in the uneven bars final would be elevated to the gold medal position should He be disqualified. Britain's Beth Twiddle, who finished in fourth place, would be elevated to the bronze.
“My real age is 16," He said when asked by journalists about the debate. "I don’t care what other people say. I want other people to know that 16 is my real age.” When asked how she spent her 15th birthday, she paused and then said: “I was with my team. It was an ordinary day.”
Just nine months before the Olympics, the Chinese government’s Xinhua news agency gave He’s age as 13. Officials have since dismissed that report, saying Xinhua had never been given her age and made a mistake.
“Much of the coverage regarding Kexin’s age has only mentioned ‘allegations’ of fraud, and the IOC has ignored the matter completely," said Stryde, who was later named by Information Week as Mike Walker. "I believe that these primary documents, issued by the Chinese state ... rise to a level of evidence higher than ‘allegation.’”
It could certainly make a difference to Britain's Tweddle, who at 23 and relatively old for a gymnast may not be able to compete in the 2012 Olympic games in London.

[HeilSvenska]

The thing is, will IOC and FIG actually launch an official investigation, and soon enough? IOC's investigation will no doubt ruin the Chinese Olympic team's integrity. I think they should do it. But I don't think IOC and FIG doesn't have guts enough to do what is right.

[Jona]

Originally Posted by HeilSvenska The thing is, will IOC and FIG actually launch an official investigation, and soon enough?

Yes they will: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/spo...cle4583174.ece

[HeilSvenska]

^Just on a random side note, I couldn't help but notice a related news article.


Yelena's sex appeal sets pulses racing

What has the Times become!?

Anyways. It's good that they are launching an investigation. They spend millions for drug testing, why not this one as well? Olympic Games' integrity is at stake.

[Mattk]

^Indeed. This is worse than drugs. The banned drugs list contains all legal drugs. This, if proved, is a deliberate flouting of rules intended to protect the very young from life-long damage. If the Chinese gymnastics team is guilty of such fraud, they should be punished severely.

[RC45]

Originally Posted by Mattk ^Indeed. This is worse than drugs. The banned drugs list contains all legal drugs. This, if proved, is a deliberate flouting of rules intended to protect the very young from life-long damage. If the Chinese gymnastics team is guilty of such fraud, they should be punished severely.

And this is news that there is state sponsored corruption n China?

[nthfinity]

OC Seeks to Settle Furor Over Age of Chinese Gymnasts

Friday, August 22, 2008

He Kexin

He Kexin

BEIJING — With the parents growing indignant and the Beijing Games winding down, the International Olympic Committee wants to "put to rest" persistent questions about the age of China's gold medal women's gymnastics team.

The IOC said Friday there is still no proof anyone cheated, though it asked the International Gymnastics Federation to investigate "what have been a number of questions and apparent discrepancies," spokeswoman Giselle Davies said. However, all the information the Chinese gymnastics federation presented supports its insistence that its athletes were old enough to compete.

"We believe the matter will be put to rest and there's no question ... on the eligibility," Davies said. "The information we have received seems satisfactory in terms of the correct documentation — including birth certificates."

If the federation had found evidence that the gymnasts were underage, it could have affected four of China's medals. In addition to the team gold and He Kexin's gold on uneven bars, Yang Yilin won bronze medals in the all-around and bars.

With the games wrapping up Sunday, the IOC wants to quickly end any lingering doubts about underage competitors.


No one would be happier to finally have closure on the controversy than the gymnasts' parents.

China coach Lu Shanzan said the parents are "indignant" over persistent questions about their daughters' ages.

"It's not just me. The parents of our athletes are all very indignant," Lu said. "They have faced groundless suspicion. Why aren't they believed? Why are their children suspected? Their parents are very angry."

In an interview with The Associated Press, Lu said Asian gymnasts are naturally smaller than their American and European rivals.

"At this competition, the Japanese gymnasts were just as small as the Chinese," he said. "Chinese competitors have for years all been small. It is not just this time. It is a question of race. European and American athletes are all powerful, very robust. But Chinese athletes cannot be like that. They are by nature that small."

He said the governing body of gymnastics was given additional documents Thursday night to try to dispel lingering questions. Those documents included He's current and former passport, ID card and family residence permit. Lu said the documents all say she was born in 1992, which would have made her eligible to compete. Gymnasts must turn 16 during the Olympic year to be eligible.

"Surely it's not possible that these documents are still not sufficient proof of her birthdate?" Lu asked. "The passports were issued by the Chinese Foreign Ministry. The identity card was issued by China's Ministry of Public Security. If these valid documents are not enough to clarify this problem, then what will you believe?

"The Chinese government and the Chinese athletes must be respected," he added.

The coach dismissed Chinese media reports and online records that suggested that He, Yang and a third team member, Jiang Yuyuan, might be as young as 14.

"If you trust every Web site but not a government...," he said. "There are so many Web sites, so much hearsay. These are not official. It is possible that all news on the Internet is accurate?"

The federation has said repeatedly that a passport is the "accepted proof of a gymnast's eligibility," and that China's gymnasts have presented ones that show they are age eligible. The IOC also checked the girls' passports and deemed them valid before the games began.

Andre Gueisbuhler, secretary general of the FIG, said the federation would release a statement later Friday.

"For the time being, there is nothing I can add," Gueisbuhler said.

The IOC did not give details on what new information prompted it to act now, three days after the gymnastics competition ended.

"With some questions still remaining, we asked the federation to take a closer look," Davies said.

The U.S. Olympic Committee said it sent a letter to the IOC and the FIG on Friday, asking that the matter be resolved.

"We certainly believe that it's important for the IOC and the international federation to review the issue and hopefully lay it to rest because the questions surrounding the age of some of the athletes have been out there for quite a while and it's unfair to them and unfair to the other athletes to continue to linger," USOC chief executive Jim Scherr said.

"So we have sent a letter to the IOC and to the international federation asking them to review the matter and see if they can't resolve it for the good of the competition, the integrity of the competition and the good of all the athletes."

The Chinese women won six medals, including the team gold and He's gold on uneven bars. Media reports include a Nov. 3 story by the Chinese government's news agency, Xinhua, that suggest He is only 14. Asked again earlier this week about her age after winning the uneven bars title, beating American Nastia Liukin in a tiebreak, she said:

"I was born in 1992, and I'm 16 years old now," He said. "The FIG has proved that. If I'm under 16, I couldn't have been competing here."

Earlier this month, the AP found registration lists previously posted on the Web site of the General Administration of Sport of China that showed both He and Yang were too young to compete. He was born Jan. 1, 1994, according to the 2005, 2006 and 2007 registration lists. Yang was born Aug. 26, 1993, according to the 2004, 2005 and 2006 registration lists. In the 2007 registration list, however, her birthday has changed to Aug. 26, 1992.

"We played fair at this Olympic Games," Liukin's father and coach, Valeri, said after they arrived back in the United States. "... If somebody cheated, shame on them."

Added Steve Penny, president of USA Gymnastics: "USA Gymnastics has always believed this issue needed to be addressed by the FIG and IOC. An investigation would help bring closure to the issue and remove any cloud of speculation from this competition."

Age falsification has been a problem in gymnastics since the 1980s after the minimum age was raised from 14 to 15 to protect young athletes from serious injuries. The minimum age was raised to its current 16 in 1997. Younger gymnasts are considered to have an advantage because they are more flexible and are likely to have an easier time doing the tough skills the sport requires. They also aren't as likely to have a history of injuries or fear of failure.

North Korea was barred from the 1993 world championships after FIG officials discovered Kim Gwang Suk, the gold medalist on uneven bars in 1991, was listed as 15 for three years in a row. Romania admitted in 2002 that several gymnasts' ages had been falsified, including Olympic medalists Gina Gogean and Alexandra Marinescu.

Even China's own Yang Yun, a double bronze medalist in Sydney, said during an interview aired on state broadcaster China Central Television that she was 14 during the 2000 Games.

[RC45]

In other words if the "Chinese government prints a passport, the persons age is official"...

Even if the passport is incorrect.

Nice.

[dutchmasterflex]

seems china still needs to play catch up to the US when it comes to keeping secrets..

[HeilSvenska]

I knew it. I knew IOC would chicken out.

[Mattk]

Originally Posted by RC45 In other words if the "Chinese government prints a passport, the persons age is official"... Even if the passport is incorrect. Nice.

Well, that's the same as in every other country, I would imagine, only most other countries don't just print out passports for fraudulent purposes. A valid passport is about as official as you can get.

[nthfinity]

Originally Posted by Mattk Well, that's the same as in every other country, I would imagine, only most other countries don't just print out passports for fraudulent purposes. A valid passport is about as official as you can get.

In most western countries, the information in the passport must be correct under threat of perjury and jail time...

When it is the Government purposely issuing the fraudulent ID, and making a purposeful effort to eliminate evidence that the said person is a younger age... it leads to one thing; even you can figure that out, Matt

[dignews]

how is he a hacker by looking at cached pages???
Your barely a hacker if you type 'cache:' before a url in google

[RC45]

Originally Posted by dignews how is he a hacker by looking at cached pages??? Your barely a hacker if you type 'cache:' before a url in google

Makes it sound like the Chinese are the good guys and the rest are the "evil ones" for the benefit of thenews

[philip]

nothing has really changed in the world, its only how its packaged