There are reports that the International Olympic Committee has launched a probe into the claims that the Chinese gymnasts were underage. This comes after documents were found raising questions about their eligibility.
He Kexin has been feted after winning the individual and team gold, many believe that she is only 14 but she still maintains that she is 16. The ages of her team mates Jiang Yuyuan and Yang Yilin have also come into question.
There have been suspicions of the team’s ages as they look so young, the suspicions have now gained some ground since these documents had come out. These documents suggest that He is 13 or 14. Some of the documents look as if they have been amended or even removed following these questions.
Giselle Davies, director of communications for the IOC has said that they had asked gymnastics officials to investigate because “more information came to light”. She added: “If there is a question mark and we have a concern, which we do, we ask the governing body of any sport to look into it.” Davies said that it was not a formal investigation but was designed to clear up the situation and “put it to rest”.
The IOC has not gone as far as to announce the names of the individuals concerned. The head coach of the Chinese gymnast team, Huang Yubin has denied any such claim.
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