Investigation into Chinese gymnast's age continues

The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) is extending its investigation into allegations of age falsification that have been made against members of the Chinese female gymnastics team, warning that it may take more time to resolve.

The eligibility question was discussed on Saturday at an extraordinary meeting of the executive committee members of the FIG.

The federation released a statement late saying it had received a number of documents from the Chinese Gymnastics Federation and was "making as thorough analysis as possible of the papers".

The documents, all in Chinese, include passports, identity cards and family booklets belonging to dual gold-medallist He Kexin and four fellow gymnasts - Jiang Yuyuan, Li Shanshan, Deng Linlin and Yang Yilin.

On Friday, IOC sports director Christophe Dubi suggested there would be a quick resolution to the controversy saying that  "everything that has been received so far shows we have no problem of eligibility for these competitors".

But yesterday's statement from the FIG suggested that there may not be a resolution in hand before the formal end of the Games at Sunday night's closing ceremony.

"This process may take some time, but in due course, the FIG will make a full report of our findings to the International Olympic Committee," the statement said.

New evidence was uncovered on the internet this week by Mike Walker, a US computer security consultant, showing He Kexin 's birthday as January 1, 1994.

This would make the tiny gymnast just 14-year-old. He Kexin's Olympic credential list her as being born two years earlier, on January 1, 1992.

According to regulations introduced in 1997 by the FIG, gymnasts competing at the Olympics are required to turn 16 in the year in which the Games take place.

In light of the new details, the IOC on Friday asked the world governing gymnastics body to review the age falsification allegations.

He Kexin and several of her teammates have been dogged by persistent rumours about their age since the start of the Games.

- © Fairfax NZ News