Gymnastics at the 2008 Summer Olympics

All times are China Standard Time (UTC+8)

{{Medals table

| caption =

| host =

| flag_template = FlagIOCteam

| event = 2008 Summer

| team =

| gold_CHN = 11 | silver_CHN = 2 | bronze_CHN = 5

| gold_USA = 2 | silver_USA = 6 | bronze_USA = 2

| gold_RUS = 2 | silver_RUS = 0 | bronze_RUS = 2

| gold_ROU = 1 | silver_ROU = 0 | bronze_ROU = 1

| gold_PRK = 1 | silver_PRK = 0 | bronze_PRK = 0

| gold_POL = 1 | silver_POL = 0 | bronze_POL = 0

| gold_CAN = 0 | silver_CAN = 2 | bronze_CAN = 0

| gold_JPN = 0 | silver_JPN = 2 | bronze_JPN = 0

| gold_BLR = 0 | silver_BLR = 1 | bronze_BLR = 1

| gold_FRA = 0 | silver_FRA = 1 | bronze_FRA = 1

| gold_GER = 0 | silver_GER = 1 | bronze_GER = 1

| gold_CRO = 0 | silver_CRO = 1 | bronze_CRO = 0

| gold_KOR = 0 | silver_KOR = 1 | bronze_KOR = 0

| gold_ESP = 0 | silver_ESP = 1 | bronze_ESP = 0

| gold_UKR = 0 | silver_UKR = 0 | bronze_UKR = 2

| gold_UZB = 0 | silver_UZB = 0 | bronze_UZB = 2

| gold_GBR = 0 | silver_GBR = 0 | bronze_GBR = 1

}}

{{Details|Gymnastics at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Qualification}}

The traditional Gymnastics Champions Gala took place on August 20 at the National Indoor Stadium. Participants are mainly selected from the 2008 Olympic trampoline and artistic gymnastics, as well as medalists from world championships. In addition, some Chinese pop stars appeared in the Gala.

The performances included Olympic disciplines such as floor exercise, pommel horse, rings, parallel bars, horizontal bar, uneven bars, balance beam, rhythmic gymnastics and trampoline gymnastics; non-Olympic discipline such as tumbling and acrobatic; and art performances such as dancing, martial art, instrument performance and chorus.

On August 21, 2008, the IOC instructed the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) to investigate allegations that Chinese gymnast He Kexin was underaged and therefore ineligible to compete during the Olympic gymnastics competition.{{cite news|last=Hutcheon|first=Stephen |url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/off-the-field/ioc-calls-for-probe-into-china-star/2008/08/22/1219262483864.html |title=IOC calls for investigation into gymnast's age |newspaper=smh.com.au|date=2008-08-22|access-date=2008-08-22}} The FIG requires that all gymnasts be at least 16 years of age in the Olympic calendar year. The IOC had initially accepted the ages of all the Chinese participants, but newly uncovered documents suggested He was 14 years old, and thus ineligible to compete.

The investigation was initiated after an American blogger reported on a cached official Excel spreadsheet showing He's birthday as January 1, 1994.{{cite news | author=Tim Reid | url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/olympics/article4583174.ece | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080906232341/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/olympics/article4583174.ece | url-status=dead | archive-date=September 6, 2008 | title= International Olympic Committee launches probe into He Kexin's age | newspaper=The Times | date=2008-08-22 | access-date=2008-08-22 | location=London}} His discoveries support earlier reports from The New York Times{{cite news | last=Macur | first=Juliet | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/22/sports/olympics/22age.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin | title=I.O.C. Asks for Inquiry of Chinese Gymnasts | work=The New York Times | date=2008-08-22 | access-date=2008-08-22}} and other bloggers regarding He's age discrepancy. Earlier, several bloggers found links to news stories and photo captions from 2007 and early 2008, including stories in the state-run Xinhua news service, that cited He's age as 13.

On October 1, 2008, the FIG ended their investigation and concluded that He and her teammates from the 2008 Olympic games were old enough to compete.{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/02/sports/olympics/02gymnastics.html?_r=1&ref=sports&oref=slogin | title=Ruling Backs Chinese Gymnasts | last=Macur | first=Juliet | work=New York Times | date=October 1, 2008 | access-date=2008-10-01}} This ruling confirmed the FIG's initial conclusions. Though some media outlets have voiced doubts about the decision,{{cite news | url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/brennan/2008-10-01-China_N.htm | title=Maybe now China will quit cheating | author=Brennan, Christine | newspaper=USA Today | date=October 1, 2008 | access-date=2008-10-22}}{{cite news | url=http://www.theherald.co.uk/sport/other/display.var.2455873.0.china_cleared_of_age_concerns_but_questions_left_over_sydney_squad.php | newspaper=The Herald | date=2 October 2008 | access-date=27 October 2008 | title=China cleared of age concerns but questions left over Sydney squad | last=Gillon | first=Doug | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081004165920/http://www.theherald.co.uk/sport/other/display.var.2455873.0.China_cleared_of_age_concerns_but_questions_left_over_Sydney_squad.php | archive-date=4 October 2008 }}{{cite web | url=https://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/news;_ylt=AlwQy2pLP.xXbUe.AXmWdu2de5p4?slug=ap-timdahlberg-092708&prov=ap&type=lgns | title=Wasting time looking for underage gymnasts | last=Dahlberg | first=Tim | date=27 September 2008 | access-date=21 December 2008 | work=Yahoo! Sports}} the gymnasts have been cleared by the FIG of any wrongdoing.

In 2014, North Korean female gymnast Cha Yong-hwa was the subject of a disciplinary hearing because of a false passport used to falsify her age. The FIG decided to withdraw her license and nullify all her results, including the results from the 2008 Olympics.{{Cite web|url = http://www.aipsmedia.com/index.php?page=news&cod=14825&tp=n#.VBrH-JR_tdt|title = FIG bans North Korean gymnast for age cheating}}

{{Portal|Olympics}}

• Concerns and controversies at the 2008 Summer Olympics
• Gymnastics at the 2006 Asian Games
• Gymnastics at the 2006 Commonwealth Games
• Gymnastics at the 2007 Pan American Games
• 2007 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
• Underage Gymnasts Controversy at 2008 Summer Olympics

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category|Gymnastics at the 2008 Summer Olympics}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20060331010211/http://www.beijing2008.com/ Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics]
• [http://www.fig-gymnastics.com Federation Internationale de Gymnastique]
• [https://digital.la84.org/digital/api/collection/p17103coll8/id/65617/download Artistic Gymnastics – Official Results Book]
• [https://digital.la84.org/digital/api/collection/p17103coll8/id/65303/download Rhythmic Gymnastics – Official Results Book]
• [https://digital.la84.org/digital/api/collection/p17103coll8/id/65267/download Trampoline Gymnastics – Official Results Book]
• {{SR/Olympics sport at games|sport=Artistic Gymnastics|archive=20160303193224}}
• {{SR/Olympics sport at games|sport=Rhythmic Gymnastics|archive=20160304044048}}
• {{SR/Olympics sport at games|sport=Trampoline|archive=20160303185435}}

{{EventsAt2008SummerOlympics}}

{{Gymnastics at the Summer Olympics}}

{{Olympic Games controversies}}

{{2008 in artistic gymnastics}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gymnastics At The 2008 Summer Olympics}}

Category:Events at the 2008 Summer Olympics

2008

Olympics 2008

Category:2008 in gymnastics