Probe into gymnast He Kexin could rule soon – but censorship stops online debate

The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) could rule as early as today on whether a double-gold winning Chinese gymnast was underage – but any online debate of the row has been censored.

The FIG launched the probe into He Kexin, darling of the host nation, after a US computer expert told The Times that he had uncovered Chinese government documents proving she is only 14, making her ineligible to compete in the Games.

He, who won gold in the uneven bars and in the team event, is listed as 16 years old – the minimum age for competitors – but the United States has repeatedly questioned that claim, as well as the ages of other members of the winning team.

If proved underage, the young star could be stripped of her medals, handing Beth Tweddle, the British gymnast who came fourth in the uneven bars, bronze.

However Christophe Dubi, Sports Director of the International Olympic Committee, said today: “Everything that has been received so far shows we have no problem of eligibility for these competitors.”

IOC spokeswoman Giselle Davies said the organisation wanted to clear up the matter 100 percent “and put it to rest”.

Lu Shanzhen, the Chinese gymnastic coach, said that parents of three girls whose ages were being questioned were indignant and upset. He said that the Chinese gave the FIG documents yesterday that included the current and former passport, ID card and family residence permit for He.

The coach asked: “Surely it’s not possible that these documents are still not sufficient proof of her birthdate? 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?”

News of the investigation has set the Olympics abuzz, but the reports have been hidden from ordinary Chinese. None of the major Chinese news websites has published the story and some where reports of the inquiry had appeared have been closed down.

This has not prevented some online debate – although several chatrooms where debate had been heated earlier in the day have since been shut down as site hosting companies censor what could be a sensitive topic.

Many Chinese were indignant, if not furious, at the doubts raised over the eligibility of a new national heroine. BYY wrote : “People said this all along: you should prevent press freedom being used by enemies. Now look at the impact that has put China on the back foot.”

Others blamed the Americans. Thousand Pigs wrote: “We should carry out a thorough dissection of Phelps to prove if he is a spaceman” – a reference to the American swimmer who took a historic eight gold medals.

Some found the issue unsurprising. Plank of Wood commented: “Changing one’s age in China, especially in the past, is very common. When I was at school I changed my age to get into the class I wanted. Later I changed it back.”

Another commenter wrote: “They will certainly now say that reports that she was 13 in 2007 were incorrect – so that she keep her gold medal.”

But all those comments had been wiped off the internet by the afternoon, even as the debate moved on to other sites.

How would you strip athlete of a medal?

Under statute of limitations rules, the IOC and other sports bodies can go back eight years to request the return of medals and nullify competition results. This means that even if the He Kexin case becomes a protracted affair, as is likely, the Committee has until 2016 to decide if it wishes to act on the findings of the investigation by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique.

However, once a decision has been reached, action is usually swift. When last year Marion Jones, the American five-time 2000 Olympic champion, admitted using steroids, she was officially stripped of her medals within weeks.

Given that the IOC is based in Lausanne, on the banks of Lake Geneva in Switzerland, the usual method of return once the Games have ended is by postal courier. Two athletes have handed their medals straight back in Beijing – Ara Abrahamian, the bronze-medal winning Greco-Roman wrestler from Sweden, and Jong Su Kim, the North Korean shooter who won bronze and silver. They were both disqualified after testing positive for banned substances.

After disqualification, standings are normally readjusted, with the second-place finisher moving up to gold, third to silver and fourth to bronze.