wOw's Beijing Olympics Blog | 08/18/2008 11:00 am

The Age of the Chinese Gymnasts: What to Believe? by Junling Cui

Editor’s Note: Meet Junling Cui, our exclusive wOw Woman on the scene in Beijing. For the Olympics, wowOwow goes right to the source for an insider’s perspective on the news coming out of Beijing. Junling will be reporting from both the women’s perspective and from the point of view of a Chinese national, on all things Olympics — from the athletes’ stories to the social impact of the Games.

Day Six

The age of Chinese gymnasts has always been a controversial subject. And this year, it seems to be a bigger issue. And it got even bigger between me and my American husband.

For those who haven’t been following the story, I’ll recap:

Chinese gymnast He Kexin is part of the Chinese team that won the gold medal for gymnastics last week. (Americans Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson took gold and silver in the individual all around earlier today.) The New York Times and others did stories questioning if He is too young to compete under International Olympic Committee rules. (The minimum age for women’s gymnastics is 16.) My husband told me the news and I immediately checked Chinese websites about this.

The information I gathered from the Chinese reports is, yes, there were some online data which show that He Kexin was born in 1994, which makes her 14 years old this year. But online news is often not reliable — particularly in China. After all, the date of birth on her passport — presented to the IOC — is January 1, 1992. And the IOC accepted that, so He is competing in the Games.

OK, that was enough for me to defend my country. So I went into a long argument with my husband about how ridiculous the accusation was until he showed me the story the Huffington Post did about He’s age. Reading the story, my attitude is changing. I don’t want to believe it. But I have to believe what I see. I don’t like to admit I am wrong, especially to my husband. But when I am wrong, I have to admit it. It’s painful for me. But compared to what that little 14-year-old girl is going through, it’s absolutely nothing.

I don’t care what planet (or country) you’re from; no one should teach a 14-year-old girl to lie — whether she’s a gold medalist, or just a normal kid. I had dinner with a bunch of my girlfriends from college days this evening, and there’s not one of them who would disagree with that.

Read more about: A Friend Stopped By, Beijing, China, He Kexin, Junling Cui, News, Olympics, Sports

13 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

I guess we are all on the same page (except for 1.5 billion Chinese who won’t care and who will, probably, say that He’s achievement is all the more remarkable because she is only 14). What do you feel about Han children impersonating members of Chinese minority groups at the opening ceremony? Was it sheer laziness on the part of the Chinese organizers or was there an undercurrent of “racism,” with the real minority children being viewed as unworthy of the honor of representing their ethnic groups and China at the Games?

By Sam Mirando on 08/18/2008 10:30 am

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P.S. When I said “I.5 billion Chinese,” I meant the 1.5 billion Chinese who are on the receiving end of Chinese propaganda in China.

By Sam Mirando on 08/18/2008 10:32 am

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I agree with you Junling. I admire you for your honesty. It’s never easy to admit your wrong, especially to your husband but all we really have that is ours is our integrity. He will have to find that in herself, even though she is not being shown that by the olympic officials and her coaches. Thank you for showing us yours. Lynn

By Lynn VanDeLaarschot on 08/18/2008 10:35 am

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I have posted a horrifying film clip of very little Chinese girls being “trained” for gymnastics. To ignore the Chinese for their abuse of these children is naive at best and a cruel way to hide one’s head in the sand, at best. As Sam Mirando has stated numerous times, the Chinese are not noted for their human rights. To me, this is a much larger issue than the fact a gymnast lied about her age. Of course, she had to; probably she did not know it was being done. Misrepresenting facts and history revision are part of the Chinese Communist Culture. If you have not watched this all the way through, I beg you to, and then think about what you are watching just for the purpose of a country’s glory…or should I say ego: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXaLdtB5lCE

By Diana T on 08/18/2008 10:44 am

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When I saw Bela Karolyi complaining about this to Bob Costas on television, all I could think was, what a hypocrite. Sure, all of the US Gymnasts on this year’s team are 16 or older, but Bela had no problem pushing Nadia Comaneci at age 7 to leave home and train, then compete in the Olympics at age 14, or Mary Lou Retton, at 15, at the 1984 Olympics, or Keri Strug, at age 14, at the Barcelona Olympics.

By Lorraine Bates on 08/18/2008 11:29 am

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I’m sad to say that this is not the only sour note in competitions. Take note of Yao Ming’s complaint over being taken out of a basketball game in order that his team would get into a lower division, making a win more possible. It’s sad, and probably not going to be addressed officially. But most of us have our eyes open.

By Sharon Lee on 08/18/2008 12:58 pm

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Lily - I agree. I have found reading the various posts over the last few months that when the Chinese are mentioned, there is a xenophobia expressed by some bloggers. Very disappointing.

By Bonnie Oliver on 08/18/2008 7:03 pm

If I am correct from watching the coverage, the age was set at 16 to level the playing field. “Mature” bodies, (as much as they can be mature with such extreme estrogen suppressing exercise), behave much differently than the body of a child. These little girls on the Chinese team appeared to be children. It is also no surprise that China is using these games as a great “coming-out”party. To show their advancement to the outside world and instill pride in their people, to erase the Great Humiliation. They knew the world was watching, especially the female gymnasts, and they were going to win, whatever it took. It was shameful.

By EKA - on 08/18/2008 2:58 pm

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Thank you Ms. Bates for pointing out what a hypocrite Bela Karolyi is. I was thinking the same when I watched the interview. It really sounds like sour grapes and he does have a history of being a complainer when things don’t go his way. And talk about abuse, how about when Kerri Strugs was hurt during the pommel horse competition and all Bela wanted was Kerri to do the second run. There wasn’t any concern about her well being. Before we cast stones at the Chinese you might want to look at our training of “future” gymnasts. What about stories of how the Karolyi’s would starve the gymnasts to keep them thin, or the verbal abuse of being called fat to “help motivate” them to stay thin?

By Blogger By Day on 08/18/2008 3:52 pm

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I couldn’t watch the chinese gymnasts perform as it broke my heart. I felt like I was watching abused children. I would turn my head away like I was watching a gruesome scene in a movie. some of those girls looked like they had baby teeth for crying out loud! But China isn’t the only country to be negligent in terms of it’s children when it comes to sports. This just happened to be a globally public negligence.

By Chrome Toe on 08/18/2008 8:53 pm

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As far as China coming out to the world through these Olympics, as they say on the streets, ‘All Show and no Blow.’

By C A Rose on 08/20/2008 4:06 am

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Welcome! This is the world we live in today! Deceit, just your average trait… Let us get a grip, I mean really! What were they going to do to her if she did not lie? This world as beautiful as it is still has a bad side where people exploit youngsters. As for the abuse that is bestowed upon these girls in China, it is truly sad. We seem to lose sight of all the despicable acts that are committed on kids. Children are dying at the hands of their own parents. Let us not try to get our panties in a bunch over the Olympics, if found guilty, they will be dealt with… Hopefully!

By Raquel Gutierrez on 08/26/2008 8:54 pm