He Kexin
| He Kexin | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | He Kexin | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Country represented |  China | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.42 m (4 ft 8 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 33 kg (73 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Discipline | Women's Artistic Gymnastics | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Level | Senior | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Years on national team | 2007, 2008 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Head coach(es) | Liu Guicheng, He Hua | ||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Template:Chinese name He Kexin (Chinese: 何可欣) is a Olympic gold winning Chinese gymnast. She is an uneven bars specialist. In 2008, she won two World Cup titles on the uneven bars. She is one of the few gymnasts in the world to score over 17.00 under the current Code of Points. With an A-score of 7.7, she has one of the highest difficulty scores in the world in the event, along with Yang Yilin and Nastia Liukin.[1][2] He Kexin was a member of the Chinese Olympic Team at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing where she won gold in the uneven bars.
Age controversy
There has been a controversy as to her actual age. Her 2008 passport and the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG) list her date of birth as January 1, 1992,[3][4] which would make her 16 years, 220 days old during the 2008 Olympic opening ceremonies and therefore old enough to compete. However, her age as of 2008 was reported by the Chinese press as 14 in news articles[4][2][5] that were later taken off-line.[6][7] Her birthdate has also been given by the Chengdu Sports Bureau and other registration sources as January 1, 1994, which would make her 14 years, 220 days old during the Opening ceremonies, and therefore too young to participate in the 2008 Summer Olympics.[4][2][6][7] In addition, in a November 2007 speech in Wuhan, Chinese sporting official Liu Peng introduced He as a 13-year-old.[2][7] On August 2, the International Olympic Committee stated that they would not investigate the discrepancy in He's reported age, stating that the FIG's own verification system would be acceptable proof of eligibility. The FIG, in responding to the situation, stated that they would not ask for additional proof of age beyond the passport already supplied by Chinese officials.[8][9] However, the matter continues to be a source of controversy among members of the gymnastics community and the media.[6]
Gold Medal Controversy
He Kexin received the same score as Nastia Liukin in the uneven bars at the Beijing Olympic games, yet He Kexin won the Gold medal. The decision came down to an obscure tie-breaking procedure.
Gymnastics career
According to China Daily, He Kexin was recruited for the Chinese National Team in 2007, after her uneven bars win at the Chinese City Games drew the attention of head coach Huang Yubin.[5].
He Kexin made her international debut in 2008, participating in several events of the World Cup circuit. At her first meet, the World Cup in Doha, she scored 16.550 on the uneven bars; at her second, the Cottbus Cup, she scored 16.800. The mark was the highest uneven bars score posted at an international event under the current Code of Points,[10] besting Nastia Liukin's mark of 16.65 at the 2008 Pacific Rim Championships.[11] At the World Cup event in Tianjin in May, He set a new international record with a score of 17.300.[12]
He Kexin is currently an event specialist on the uneven bars. She intends to diversify into an all-arounder following the Olympic season.[citation needed]
Skills
- Uneven bars: Li Ya release (Jaeger with a mixed grip half turn directly into a Jaeger); Jaeger in a laid-out position; Tkatchev-Pak salto to the low bar; full twisting double back dismount.
- Vault: Double twisting Yurchenko
Competitive history
| Year | Competition Description | Location | Apparatus | Rank-Final | Score-Final | Rank-Qualifying | Score-Qualifying |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | World Cup/Series | Cottbus | Uneven Bar | 1 | 16.850 | 1 | 16.800 |
| World Cup/Series | Doha | Uneven Bar | 1 | 16.550 | |||
| Olympics | Beijing | Team | 1 | 1 | |||
| Olympics | Beijing | Uneven Bars | 1 | 1 |
References
- ^ Wang, Lisa (2008-05-12). ""Chinese Championships End"". International Gymnast. Retrieved 2008-07-27.
- ^ a b c d ""Are Chinese gymnasts too young for Olympics?"". USA Today/Associated Press. 2008-07-27. Retrieved 2008-07-27.
- ^ He Kexin's biography at the FIG website
- ^ a b c Macur, Juliet (2008-07-27). ""Records Suggest Chinese Gymnasts May Be Under Age"". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-07-27.
- ^ a b ""Uneven-bars queen the new star in town"". China Daily. May 23 2008. Retrieved 2008-07-27.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ a b c Harris, Nick (2008-08-19). "Tweddle the loser as age doubts mar He's triumph". The Independent. Retrieved 2008-08-19.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ a b c Xiao, Qiang (August 14 2008). ""One More Olympic Secret: How Old is He Kexin (何可欣), Really?"". China Digital Times. Retrieved 2008-08-19.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Armour, Nancy (2008-08-02). "More questions about Chinese gymnasts' ages". Associated Press. Retrieved 2008-08-02.
- ^ Pucin, Diane (2002-08-10). "More age monitoring for women's gymnastics". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2008-08-16.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Turner, Amanda (2008-04-25). ""He Kexin hits new high score"". International Gymnast. Retrieved 2008-07-27.
- ^ ""Hamm cruises, Liukin raises bar at Pacific Rim"". USA Today. March 30 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-31.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Turner, Amanda (2008-05-14). ""World Cup Begins in Tiajin"". International Gymnast. Retrieved 2008-07-27.
