China denies underage gymnast reports

BEIJING -- China on Wednesday denied media reports that two of its female gymnasts were too young to compete in the Beijing Olympics. "The Chinese Gymnastics Association organized the athletes' passports according to identity documents provided by the province, autonomous region, or city where they were registered," the association said in a statement sent to AFP. The association also attached a copy of the gymnasts' passports and identity cards, which both showed that the two were both 16 -- the minimum age for Olympic gymnastic competitors, according to a rule set in 1997. Chinese media and the New York Times have raised questions about whether He Kexin and Jiang Yuyuan, two athletes named in the squad, have yet turned 16. Online records listing Chinese gymnasts along with reports in Chinese news media indicated that He and Jiang could be as young as 14, The New York Times said. But according to the copy of the identity cards faxed to AFP, he was born on January 1, 1992, and Jiang on November 1, 1991 -- making them both 16. The association said Jiang and He had both recently attended international competitions. "These competitions are official ones run by the International Federation of Gymnastics," it said in the statement. "The federation would have strictly verified their passports, and confirmed their ages conformed to the age regulations of the World Championships, the World Cup and the Olympic Games." China has faced criticism for its harsh training regime for young athletes, gymnasts in particular.