Dry run
China breaks in Olympic hopefuls at Asian Games
Posted: Saturday December 05, 1998 01:20 PM
BANGKOK, Tailand (AP) -- For China, staying atop the Asian Games
gold medals standings is not the issue. Its eyes are set down the
road on a bigger target: the 2000 Olympics.
In gymnastics, diving and other events, China aims to use the
Asian Games starting Sunday in Bangkok to hone future stars. It
hopes giving young athletes the vital experience of big competition
will pay off in medals at the Sydney Olympics.
The ability of the Chinese sporting machine to churn out a
seemingly endless supply of fresh talent has long made China Asia's
sporting powerhouse. But regional dominance is not enough. Chinese
sports officials and athletes want to take on and beat the world's
best.
Chin, the runaway winner at the last Asian Games in Hiroshima,
Japan, in 1994, again expects to lead the medals table in Bangkok.
But, officials say, it's the quality, not quantity, of gold that
will count in the long run.
"It's not just getting a gold, it's getting a gold with a
result that is close or at world standards," said Li Furong,
deputy head of China's Asian Games delegation. "The main target is
the 2000 Olympics."
For China, doing well is also a matter of politics and national
pride. China views sporting prowess as a way to showcase - both to
the world and its own people - the huge economic strides the
country has made under two decades of market reforms that have
lifted millions out of poverty. The government works to channel
pride generated when Chinese athletes do well into support for the
difficult reform process.
"We want to display the new face of China, the new spirit of
our people that has sprung up under 20 years of reform," Li said
in an interview.
For Bangkok, China's athletes have been issued with a smart
uniform - gray suits for men, yellow for women - with the red
national emblem displayed prominently on the chest. Athletes are
under instructions to leave a good impression, not to stay out
overnight, and not to stay up late.
For most Chinese athletes, this is their first Asian Games. Just
69 of the 596 athletes are veterans of both Hiroshima and the 1996
Atlanta Olympics, officials say. The athletes' average age is 23.
Two of China's four women divers - Yang Lan and 14-year-old Li
Na - have never attended a major international competition before,
team manager Xue Li said. On the men's side, 16-year-old diver
Huang Qiang is also in his first big international meet, she said.
In gymnastics, a Chinese strength, three men - Yang Wei, Xing
Aowei and Zhao Sheng - have never attended a major international
competition, team manager Zhang Jian said. Among the women
gymnasts, 16-year-old Xu Jing is a newcomer.
"Through the Asian Games, we want to train our young
athletes," said Li, the delegation official. "This way we can
better prepare for the Olympics in 2000."
The crop of new faces means some famous stars have been left
behind. They include table tennis players Wang Tao and Deng Yaping,
a three-time world champion. In the pool, world record holders Le
Jingyi and He Cihong also are missing the games, as is top
butterfly swimmer Liu Limin.
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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