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China's training methods
From doping to what news reporter calls abuse: [quote]Sir Matthew Pinsent, the British rowing legend, once described Chinese training methods as
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Firstly, I think it's insane that the parents would actually want their kids to be hit, but it is another culture, I guess. Next I think it's great that the article recognizes the outstanding achievements that Chinese culture has reaped. It was just a great, thought-provoking article for me.
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there was a similar article a while back regarding the training methods in China. and there's that movie talking about such training methods, this one is in Europe, in the IG magazine this month. so, it's not just China, though it's prob. a little different in any country, with the diff. culture.
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not impressed.
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Because is something usual on the strong nations such as Romania,China,Usa,etc.its something almost unstoppable.
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More on China's training methods: "Gymnastics: Trading youth for sporting glory" - http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070621/lf_afp/gymnasticsoly2008chn_070621132304 The title says a lot. Here's some highlights: [quote]Zhang Jing has a cherubic face and skin porcelain white from hours spent indoors but her hands could be mistaken for those of a lifelong labourer.[/quote] And maybe her back x-rays too - orthopedists say they get a lot of gymnast back x-rays with bone spurs, cracks, etc. Recruiting at early age, once you're in you're in...: [quote]Children are recruited from an early age -- sometimes as young as three years old -- based on natural talent but also on medical tests to determine their suitability for certain sports. For example, Liu Xiang, China's world champion hurdler, was recruited to a sports school as a high-jumper but was later rejected from that programme when bone tests showed he would not grow tall enough to be a world beater. Many of the young athletes have little idea of what they are getting into. But once they are inducted there are few choices. "My mum said to me that gymnastics will help you jump higher. I just thought okay, it might be interesting and then I would go to athletic school," said Hu Yuhong, 15, a national team member. "I was too little to know what gymnastics would mean to me." Once they have passed the series of tests, potential gymnasts embark on a gruelling schedule which aims to create champions. Schooling and family take a back seat to eight hours of training six days a week. Quitting the rigid system that demands total dedication, and in which the state invests millions of dollars to develop its athletes, is rarely an option. "We want to quit, but our coach doesn't want us to as he hopes to win the championship," said Zhang, who like several athletes interviewed by AFP described the training as "tough and boring."[/quote] 8 hours, 6 days a week training!! 48 hours a week!! I wonder what they do on the 7th day. Fear injury listening to coaches who tell them to do skills they can't do: [quote]But even young Zhang questions the training methods aimed at sending her to Beijing next year. She said of her coach: "She always forces us to do difficult moves, but sometimes we really aren't able to do them, but then she forces us to do them again and again and again. "We want to be champions and we have to do the difficult moves to get better scores, but on the other hand we are really scared something like what happened to Wang Yan will happen to us." [/quote] Long hours, harsh training, beating by coaches, doping methods - highlighted in 2005 by the British Olympic rower Matthew Pinsent. They didn't use a neck brace and proper methods of transporting Wang Yan to the hospital after her injury at the Chinese Nationals. Treatment like a number not a person? Maybe they need to invest more money in having proper equipment? And the Olympics are there in 2008. Way to reward.
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There was an article in the IG magazine, November issue, on the hash training practices in the East, Asia and Europe, not just China like jaycej says. But maybe the conditions are changing faster and better in Europe than in China, like how the Swiss women get their coach out. There's another article on the Chinese sports training system on USA Today: "China ties Olympic gold to quest for worldwide esteem" - http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/2007-06-13-china-sports-schools-1a-cover_N.htm A flash photo video: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/gallery/2007/s070614_chinaoly/flash.htm They say their sport system is styled to the Russian system, as they wanted to concentrate not just on academics, but also have sport in China. Hope for reward through sport: "I hope he'll be a champion; this place can develop him," says Sun's mother, Zhao Shixia. "Everyone said it was the best at table tennis and other sports. He needs to be conscientious. I hope we'll get some payback." Behind closed doors. [quote]A visit to Shichahai provides a rare glimpse into China's training of its athletes, which is mostly secret.[/quote] Taking the saying no pain no gain too far. [quote]Some young Chinese athletes say they are accustomed to some abuse but defend the practice as part of training to be the best. "I have been kicked and slapped when I didn't try hard enough," Sun says. "It hurts and I cry sometimes, but next time I try harder. The coaches are good. They are trying to help me." School director Liu Hongbin says abuse isn't condoned: "However, the concept of beating and abuse are different in different cultures and countries."[/quote] Selection based on body type. [quote]Each year, authorities identify children who show athletic promise to train in sports schools, often in sports unknown to most Chinese. Kayaker Zhang Jinmei says she fell out of a kayak as a teenager when a coach took her out for a trial run in Qinhuangdao. "I had never rowed a boat before; I didn't know what a kayak looked like," Zhang says. "And I couldn't even swim." The former discus thrower says she was picked for kayaking because she is "tall and stout, with good upper-body strength." Now 25, Zhang won a 2004 World Cup race and hopes to win an Olympic medal next summer. [/quote] Government funding for Chinese elite athletes. Annual budget for Beijing's sports schools risen by up to 5% a year since 2001, when they got chosen host of the 2008 Games. [quote]China does not make public what it spends on sports programs, but Steve Roush, the USOC's chief of sport performance, estimates China is spending $400 million to $500 million to train elite athletes in the four years leading up to the 2008 Games. That doesn't include younger athletes training in sports schools. The USOC and the sports' national governing bodies will spend $200 million to $225 million during that period, Roush says. Much of China's funding for the Beijing Olympics is going to 100 to 150 athletes, while the USA is funding 2,500 to 3,000 potential 2008 Olympians, Roush says. "I think now they are targeting their very best with the most resources." In the USA, trials will be held in many sports next year to help determine who will be on the Olympic team. In China, Olympic team members are identified much earlier, most of them having trained in the sports schools, Roush says. "In our selection method, we need to support a broad-based number of athletes," he says. "In other countries, they can already have selected who they're taking to the Games and can be focusing their resources on much smaller numbers."[/quote] Pressure for gold. [quote]He, the Beijing bureau official, says Chinese officials "only speak about gold. If you are second, you are a loser." Recently, however, Beijing has played down its focus on winning gold medals. "We have never said we were aiming for the top spot, only that we would try our best to perform well and seek to finish among the front-runners," says Chen Zhili, vice president of Beijing's 2008 organizing committee. "Winning gold medals is not the be-all and end-all. The most important thing is participation."[/quote] Athletes' health should be put first before this quest. 9-year-old Niu Sizhuo: "I cry sometimes because I am tired. But I want to be a world champion," says Niu, a national champion who started boarding at the school when she was 5. "If I train hard, I think by the time I am 14 or 15 I'll realize my goal." Besides sports training elementary students go to classes in literature, math, English, natural science, ideology and morality...some of the teachings: [quote]" 'A severe teacher brings up brilliant disciples,' " Yu Xiaoyu, 15, who has made the national youth badminton team, says as he quotes a popular Chinese saying. Sacrifice is part of the path to greatness, Shichahai director Liu says. "We Chinese people are a nation that can eat bitterness, and our athletes can eat even more," Liu says. "Our students want to be champions for our school, for Beijing and for the country. We teach them to be patriotic. If you win glory for the nation, the nation will reward you."[/quote]
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Russian gymnastics sports system
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I found these on the Russian system: "Fear of training gymnastics in russia fluff": [youtube]4qYiSrFBeqk[/youtube] The girl being stretched hard by her coach and crying, telling him to stop but he won't, is in this video, and an English girl (from England) says that if that was in England he would be locked up by now, so I guess that's in Russia and the "Elite Gymnastics. Harder than it has to be? (editted)" video (http://www.gymchat.com/messageboards/viewtopic.php?p=1955#1955) that included this part was from this (topic: http://www.gymchat.com/messageboards/viewtopic.php?t=483). Talking bad and hitting - defended by results. This can't be described by the 'strict' anymore. It's an interesting video, the English view on Russian training. "Litle Gymnasts from Russia. Film": [youtube]IV8MP1WQsWQ[/youtube] This one is pretty recent, they have the new vault table. Shows great young Russian gymnasts.
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The little girl that was upset and crying in the video was also in the "Elite Gymnastics. Harder than it has to be? (editted)" video.
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yes
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Sometimes i feel sorry for those children,but that its one step if they want to get into the glory of gymnastics,some made it,while other dont...
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