He Kexin
Chinese gymnast, Olympic gold medalist on uneven bars.
He Kexin (born January 1, 1992) is a Chinese former artistic gymnast who competed at the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics. She won gold on the uneven bars and a bronze medal as a member of the Chinese team at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, and was one of only a few gymnasts to score over 17.00 under the 2006–2008 Code of Points. Her career was marked by high difficulty scores and an age controversy that drew international attention.
- born
- January 1, 1992
- field
- Artistic gymnastics
- nationality
- Chinese
- known_for
- Olympic gold on uneven bars (2008), high difficulty scores, age controversy
Quick Facts
- Full Name
- He Kexin (何可欣)
- Birth Date
- 1992-01-01 / (see Age controversy below)
- Birth Place
- Beijing, China
- Height
- 147 cm
- Discipline
- WAG
- Natlteam
- 2007–12 (CHN)
- Club
- Beijing Gymnastics Team
- Headcoach
- Liu Guicheng, He Hua
- Music
- Boléro by Maurice Ravel (2010–11)
- Retired
- 2013
- Show-Medals
- yes
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
He Kexin began training at the Shichahai Sports School in Beijing in 1997. She participated in China's National Games in 2006 and Intercity Games in 2007, after which she was recruited for the Chinese National Team by head coach Huang Yubin. She made her international debut in 2008 on the World Cup circuit, scoring 16.550 in Doha and 16.800 in Cottbus—the highest uneven bars score at an international event under the Code of Points at the time.
At the 2008 Olympics, He was part of the bronze medal-winning Chinese team. In the uneven bars final, she and Nastia Liukin both scored 16.725 with identical A- and B-panel scores, but He won gold due to lower variance in her B-panel marks per FIG tiebreaker rules. She defended her bars title at the 2009 World Championships with a score of 16.150. In the 2010 World Championships team final, she contributed 16.133 with a 7.4 difficulty. However, a fall in the event final left her without a medal. At the 2011 World Championships, she fell in qualifications and did not make the bars final, but remained on the bronze medal-winning Chinese team.
He was named to the 2012 Olympic team alongside Jiang Yuyuan and Tan Sixin, among others. At the 2012 Olympics, she qualified second on uneven bars and finished second in the final with a score of 15.933, behind Aliya Mustafina. She became the only Chinese female gymnast to medal in the same event at two consecutive Olympics. She is one of only five Chinese female gymnasts to make two Olympic teams.
Reader's Guide
He Kexin's significance lies in her exceptional uneven bars performances and the controversy surrounding her age. She was one of the few gymnasts to score over 17.00 under the 2006–2008 Code of Points, and her 7.7 difficulty score in 2008 was among the highest in the world. She holds the record for the highest obtained difficulty in the entire London period, and her 16.133 in the 2010 World Championships team final was the highest score ever achieved at the time. Her Olympic gold in 2008, won via tiebreaker over Nastia Liukin, and her silver in 2012, made her the only Chinese female gymnast to medal in the same event at two consecutive Olympics. The age controversy, fueled by conflicting reports from Chinese press and registration lists, prompted an FIG investigation that ultimately found her eligible, though skepticism persisted. Her legacy includes being one of only five Chinese female gymnasts to make two Olympic teams, and her high-difficulty routines influenced the sport's technical evolution.
Did You Know?
- He Kexin was one of only a few gymnasts to score over 17.00 under the 2006–2008 Code of Points.
- Her 7.7 difficulty score on uneven bars in 2008 was one of the highest in the world.
- She won the 2008 Olympic uneven bars gold via tiebreaker over Nastia Liukin due to lower variance in B-panel marks.
- She is the only Chinese female gymnast to medal in the same event at two consecutive Olympics.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is He Kexin?
He Kexin is a Chinese former artistic gymnast born on January 1, 1992, best known for her work on the uneven bars. She represented China at both the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Summer Olympics.
What Olympic medals did He Kexin win?
At the 2008 Beijing Games she took gold on the uneven bars and earned a bronze as part of the Chinese team in the team all-around final. She did not medal individually at the 2012 London Olympics.
What was the age controversy surrounding He Kexin?
Questions about her true age surfaced during and after the 2008 competition cycle, prompting scrutiny from international observers and media. The debate became one of the more widely discussed incidents in gymnastics that year.
Why was He Kexin's scoring considered remarkable?
Under the 2006–2008 Code of Points she was one of only a handful of gymnasts in the world to post a score above 17.00 on a single apparatus. Her routines combined very high difficulty values with clean execution, which made those marks stand out in an era when 17-point scores were rare.
What made He Kexin's uneven bars routine stand out from other gymnasts?
Her bars work was defined by exceptionally high difficulty content, including multiple release moves and complex transitions that pushed the scoring ceiling. This emphasis on difficulty, paired with her consistency in competition, is what set her apart from peers on that apparatus.
More in Gymnastics Stars 1-19
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record