CHINA: OLYMPICS - Chinese gymnasts training for the London Olympics hope to repeat their Beijing success

Record ID: 858664

  • Title: CHINA: OLYMPICS - Chinese gymnasts training for the London Olympics hope to repeat their Beijing success
  • Date: 13th June 2012
  • Summary: GIRL GYMNAST SWINGING ON UNEVEN BARS COACH TRAINING GIRL GYMNAST GIRL GYMNAST RUNNING COACH HELPING GIRL GYMNAST LAND ON CUSHIONS GIRL GYMNAST'S FACE GIRL GYMNASTS DURING TRAINING
  • Embargoed: 28th June 2012 13:00
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  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVADPVI0L17RLJBXUJDTS58SBLSM
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  • Story Text: Chinese national gymnasts are gearing up to repeat their home medal haul at the London Games with hard training, while the country continues to invest substantially to prepare young athletes to maintain its strong advantage in the sport.
    China's men's and women's Olympic teams have undergone strict practice sessions at the training hall in the General Administration of Sport in Beijing.
    Men's team captain and Beijing Olympic champion Chen Yibing said everyone was working hard towards a place in the final selection for London.
    "We will take closed training soon when we will further narrow down the names and finally decide the list for London. Now everyone, every team mate is training very hard, including me, in order to get into the final squad in our best conditions in the end," he said.
    China pocketed nine gold medals four years ago: men's and women's team titles; men's all-round, floor exercise, horizontal bar, parallel bars, pommel horse and rings; plus women's uneven bars.
    Lu Shanzhen, head coach of the women's team, said his primary job now was to minimise the possibility of athletes getting injured before the London Games.
    "We will reduce the training hours and intensity in an orderly way according to the arrangements ahead of the London Games. Our priority at the moment is to prevent athletes from getting injured and sick. As you can see, there are reminders of guarding against injury on the walls; this is the biggest concern for every top-level team before participating in important competitions," he said.
    Gymnastics in China is a nationwide industry supported by a well-established system where young, promising gymnasts are picked up by teams and training schools from as young as four years old.
    At the state-run Shichahai sports school in central Beijing, the government trains young prospects in a rigorous program with regular, must-hit targets.
    Many children drop out and the system arouses some concerns, but Li Xiaopeng, China's most decorated gymnast with four Olympic gold medals and 12 world titles, said he had benefitted greatly from the programme.
    "As far as I am concerned, I am a big beneficiary from the system. The country invested to train me from when I was young, in fact I didn't spend a single penny myself. They also provided me with equipment, food and great training conditions. For gymnasts from other countries, they can't enjoy such great welfare," he said.
    Li said the system contributed to the the outstanding accomplishments of Chinese athletes.
    "I think for the Chinese gymnastics team, it is a systemmatical project from fostering one's reserve strength to winning world championships. That's why they have so many great achievements," he said.
    The devotion to gymnastics is ingrained in the country, where many people see sporting success on the international stage as a national profile raiser.
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