He Kexin, Team China





He Kexin will represent China in London for her second Olympic Games. In 2007, Kexin became a member of the Chinese National Team. She began competing internationally in 2008, first participating in several events on the World Cup circuit and then at the Cottbus Cup. The Cottbus Cup is where Kexin posted an uneven bar score of 16.8, surpassing Nastia Liukin's mark of 16.65 at the 2008 Pacific Rim Championships. 

Kexin was a member of China's 2008 Olympic team and qualified for the uneven bar finals, where she tied with U.S. team member Nastia Liukin. Both earning a score of 16.725, Kexin edged out Liukin due to a lower variance in her execution scores, giving her the gold medal. Kexin also contributed an outstanding uneven bar performance for the Chinese during team finals, leading them to a gold medal finish. At the 2009 World Championships, Kexin again struck gold on the uneven bars in event finals. Due to a fall in the uneven bar finals at the 2010 World Championships, Kexin was put out of reach of medaling and was unable to defend her title. 

Recently, at the 2011 World Championships, Kexin didn't compete on any event in team finals, but remained on the Chinese team which took bronze. She is in the running for a gold medal on the uneven bars in London. 

Interesting Facts

• He Kexin is capable of one of the highest D-scores in the world boasting a 7.1. 
• Kexin competes daring combinations such as a Jaeger 1/2 Jaeger and a Jaeger in a laid-out position
• Her score of a 16.8 posted in 2008 at the Cottbus Cup was the highest score that had been recorded at that time under the then new Code of Points.
• As with several of her teammates, questions were raised in the international press when earlier reports surfaced indicating He Kexin may not have been old enough to compete in the 2008 Olympics, but later on an official investigation found in her favor.

He Kexin training uneven bars at the 2011 World Championships in Tokyo. 

Watch more video of He Kexin on gymnastike.org