CHINA DAILY FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2012 olympics 5 off track ... DRESSED FOR SUCCESS

China’s female gymnasts will wear specially made outfi ts when they compete in the individual gymnastics events on Sunday. Chinese sports brand Li-Ning sponsored outfi ts for fi ve Chinese national teams — gymnastics, shooting, diving, table tennis and bad- minton — at the London Olympics. The company also custom-made diff erent outfi ts for all the female gymnasts to help them distinguish their personalities in individual competitions. “To connect the product’s appearance with athletes’ personalities more closely, we communicated with every Olympic gymnast on the women’s team during the designing process to acquire their diff erent preferences,” said Li-Ning’s designer Han Rouxue. He Kexin also drafted a design that expressed her preference for dark colors and butterfl y elements. The 20-year-old will compete in the uneven bars event with the special design on Monday. A SILVER FOR FLOOD VICTIMS

Women’s 25m pistol silver winner Chen Ying kissed her fi ngers and said the medal was dedicated to Bei- jing, which was hit by torrential rains on July 21. “It was not an easy job. Thanks, my fi ngers!” the defending Olympic shooter said. Chen, who set an Olympic record four years ago in Beijing, was beaten by South Korean Kim Jang-mi, who fi nished with 792.4 points in the fi nal. “Athletes have diff erent understandings of sports,” she said. “My hometown, Beijing, was hard hit by fl oods triggered by torrential rains after I arrived in London. The fl ood had a special meaning for me. “I am not only fi ghting for the beloved sport and the country, but NOT-SO-GENTLY DOWN THE STREAM also for people in Beijing, including my coaches and family. I hope my hometown will be rebuilt and become better.” PHOTO BY DAMIEN MEYER / ASSOCIATED PRESS The rainstorm, reportedly the city’s biggest in 60 years, killed 77 people. South Africa rowers (from rear, unseen) James Th ompson, Matthew Brittain, John Smith and Sizwe Ndlovu (front) celebrate victory in the men’s lightweight four rowing fi nal at the London Olympics in Eton Dorney, near BUS DRIVER ARRESTED Windsor, England, on Th ursday. It was the fi rst-ever Olympic rowing gold medal for South Africa. The driver of an Olympics media shuttle bus was arrested by police on Thursday following a fatal collision with a cyclist just outside Lon- don’s Olympic Park. The driver, in his mid-60s, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving, following the incident late Wednesday. An AFP reporter saw a man’s legs protruding from under Tong ready to start over again the double-decker bus on a Games lane slip road leading from the park. The man’s mangled racing bicycle lay nearby. The cyclist, a man aged 28, was pronounced dead at the scene. six women made it. New faces rose The incident happened just outside the perimeter of the Olym- Judoka hopes to put drug controversy and are competitive. pic Park behind the Riverbank Arena, where a men’s hockey match “We have to prepare for every between Pakistan and Argentina was taking place. behind her with gold medal on Friday round to be difficult, but we must have confi dence that Tong is able to By CHEN XIANGFENG gold at the Moscow Grand Slam, then beat everyone.” AUSSIE ROWER DETAINED in London the world championship in August. Wu said Tong feels pressure but [email protected] All that winning couldn’t shut out not fear. Australian rower Joshua Booth was detained by British police early the criticism from those who ques- “People have their eyes on her on Thursday after he allegedly damaged a shop window following a It doesn’t matter that the beds are tioned whether the ban should have because she is a strong opponent and night out drinking, the Australian team said. terrible in the Athletes’ Village. been overturned. a favorite in the event. We have the Booth, 21, who was in the Australian men’s eight that fi nished sixth Tong Wen is sleeping just fi ne at Tong knows the best response is to confidence necessary to deal with in its fi nal on Wednesday, also suff ered minor injuries when he fainted night. win another gold medal. that pressure.” while in police custody, Australian team chef de mission Nick Green said. China’s world champion judoka “As a professional, what you should Tong broke out when she was 17, AFP-CHINA DAILY has left her doping ban behind and do is be focused on the preparations winning the Asian Championship has her sights set on and competitions,” she said. “I had a in 2000. defending her Olympic long and tough training before the She made a name for herself on the gold medal on Friday in Games, and I think it worked very international stage three years later, REPORTER’S LOG | ZHANG CHUNYAN the +78kg event. well.” As a professional, winning the World Open Champion- It’s been a stuttering She’s so well-prepared that she even what you should ships title in 2003 in Osaka. Olympic cycle for the nation’s top managed to get control of that bed- She defeated reigning champion judoka. ding situation. do is be focused Maki Tsukada with eight seconds to Times are changing, She tested positive for the fat-burn- “We thought it through and added on the prepara- go in the heavyweight judo fi nal at the ing drug clenbuterol at the 2009 World something to make the bed longer tions and compe- Beijing Games, making her the fi rst Championships in Rotterdam, where and wider,” the 29-year-old said. “It’s titions.” grand slam champion. and so are the media she won the +78kg category title. She not totally suitable, but it’s OK for China has dominated women’s was banned for two years, and was me. I’m used to the beds in Europe. TONG WEN judo in the +78kg category and open t’s not only Olympic athletes “Let’s see who’s fastest,” they ‘‘ CHINA’S JUDO WORLD AND schedule to be eligible to be reinstated I sleep well and am in great shape levels for a long time. Th ree Chinese who try to scale new heights — joked. in September 2011. right now.” OLYMPIC CHAMPION judokas — Zhuang Xiaoyan in 1992, so do China’s media. I’m also impressed to see many But in February 2011, her bid to Tong opens her defense against Sun Fuming in 1996 and Yuan Hua In the social media age, Chinese media are paying greater overturn the ban was successful, and Vanessa Zambotti of Mexico. Her in 2000 — took gold in the Olympics. IChinese journalists pursue the attention to the Olympic spirit and she was reinstated as world champ. top rival and most likely opponent is to go forward and keep aggressive. Chinese women’s judokas work Olympic spirit of “higher, faster humanity of the London Games. Th e Court of Arbitration for Sport in the fi nal is Japan’s Mika Sugimoto. Winning judo gold is not walking with male training partners, so they and stronger”. China’s national news agency overturned the suspension imposed Sugimoto won the World Champion- over there and taking it,” Wu said. are competitive in both strength and Every day, I read Sina Weibo, Xinhua published some strongly by the International Judo Federation, ship, Asian Championship and Asian “We will not use conservative or technique, combining traditional China’s popular Twitter-like micro- worded comments on Wednesday, citing a “procedural failure” in the Games in Tong’s absence in 2010. defensive tactics. Chinese wrestling with judo. blogging service, and fi nd Chinese condemning the nation’s badmin- laboratory tests. Tong’s coach, Wu Weifeng, said “Lots of world champions have In 2004, China had to settle for media — news agencies, national ton players aft er they appeared to Tong returned to international Tong is ready to go. been eliminated in other categories. bronze, but Tong emerged to reclaim and regional newspapers, radio try to lose their match at Wembley competition in May 2011, winning “She is in good shape. Our tactic In the 52kg, none of the world’s top China’s place atop the category. and websites — are very timely in Arena. updating news and information “Th is behavior seriously violated about the Games. the Olympic spirit regarding fair Amid fi erce competition, power- play ... Even if they fi nally win the ful Chinese portals like Sina and gold medal ... maybe the audience Tencent strive to coax famous won’t give them any applause,” one With Ennis, athletics gets off to fast start sportspeople and those overseeing of Xinhua’s comments said. the event to use social networks “In sports, morality should come By ASSOCIATED PRESS pressure,” Ennis said. “It’s important for the Americans to to communicate with legions of before anything else. Whoever vio- in London Th e heptathlon will also provide a get back on top in the sprints,” said Gay. netizens. lated the rules should be criticized fi tting entree for the Bolt-Blake sprint By Friday night, the US team could I noticed swimmer Sun Yang has and looked down upon.” It won’t take long for the British mania over the weekend. already have its first gold in hand, 9 million Sina Weibo followers. My British friend Eleanor asked crowd to warm up when the London Th e opening day will also have the considering its strength in depth in As Chinese media swarm into me, with a bit of surprise: “Your Games track and fi eld competition fi nals of the men’s shot put and the the shot put with Christian Cantwell, London to cover the Olympic State media fi ercely criticized your opens on Friday at the Olympic sta- women’s 10,000. On top of that, the Reese Hoff a and Ryan Whiting. Since Games, journalists work hard to badminton match-throwing scan- dium. US-Jamaica sprint rivalry will kick Randy Barnes’ gold at the 1996 Atlanta grab every opportunity and keep dal? Really?” Five minutes into the program, off with the heats in the women’s Games though, the title has escaped up with the pace of the world’s I replied: “Yes. Th e gold medal Jessica Ennis and other heptath- 100. As in Beijing four years ago, it the Americans. And this time, the largest sports extravaganza. isn’t what’s most important.” letes will line up for the is expected to be the defi ning story main threat comes from German Every time I attend the Olympic Chinese media are changing and 100m hurdles, the fi rst of the Games. David Storl. At 22, he already is world news conferences in London, I can maturing as the country develops. of seven disciplines in It was a wipeout four years ago, with and European champion and has see Chinese journalists posting Years ago, they focused more on the event. Jamaicans Usain Bolt and Veronica always peaked when it really matters. short stories or pictures on weibo gold medals and success. But this Ennis, born in Shef- Cambell-Brown in starring roles. Now, Th e Jamaica vs United States rival- using smart phones, and there’s a time, I feel media expressed more fi eld and one of Britain’s best chance the Americans are bent on restoring ry in the sprints translates to Kenya real undercurrent of excitement. sympathy and support for losers. for an athletics gold, will have to their dominance. OLIVIA HARRIS / REUTERS vs Ethiopia in the long distance race At a company’s PR event near Both in print and online, many shoot out of the blocks fastest since “The Americans and Jamaicans British athlete Jessica Ennis will and that one starts with the women’s central London’s Trafalgar Square, media are discussing the pressure the sprint hurdles is one of her best have been going back and forth for start her push for a medal in the 10,000 in Friday’s last event. Chinese sports legend Lang Ping, the nation’s athletes are facing aft er events in the two-day competition. several years, especially in the sprints. heptathlon on Friday. It will pit Ethiopia’s Tirunesh known as the “Iron Hammer”, some publicly apologized for losing She will hope to build an early lead We do enjoy racing against each oth- Dibaba, seeking to become the fi rst appeared for a while as an honored at the London Olympics. over her rivals, world champion Taty- er because we are very competitive,” Th at should be a real US-Jamaica repeat champion in the race, against guest, who represents the Chinese Weightlift er Wu Jingbiao apolo- ana Chernova of Russia and defend- Campbell-Brown said. battle come Saturday’s final, while world champion Vivian Cheruiyot National Women’s Volleyball Team. gized in tears for “letting down ing champion Natallia Dobrynska of Campbell-Brown will be going for everyone expects Sunday’s men’s fi nal of Kenya. I met many Chinese reporters his fans and his country” in a TV Ukraine. her third 200 Olympic title in a row to be a showdown between Bolt and Both have a long-distance double there. When Lang appeared, two interview aft er winning silver in Add the crowds and the nation’s next week, but lines up with defend- fellow Jamaican Yohan Blake. on their mind. Dibaba already did it young women Chinese journalists the men’s 56kg weightlift ing event. expectations, and it could all become ing champion Shelly-Ann Fraser- Tyson Gay and 2004 Olympic in Beijing four years ago and Cheru- beside me snapped photos and Many media commented: a bit much for Ennis. Pryce to face Americans Carmelita champion Justin Gatlin hope they iyot clinched both 5,000 and 10,000 very quickly posted a few words “Competing for success is encour- “I’m trying not to think about it too Jeter and Allyson Felix in the 100 will be in it for more than just a at last year’s world championships like “Lang Ping has attracted much aged. Failure is also met with more much, because that again adds more heats Friday evening. scramble for bronze. in Daegu. attention” on their weibo. sympathy and acceptance.”