6 olympics MONDAY, AUGUST 13, 2012 CHINA DAILY China wakes strides with race walking By CHEN XIANGFENG women’s 20km. in London Wang traveled to London chenxiangfeng to support China’s team and @chinadaily.com.cn praised its success. “It’s a tough sport because China’s race walking gold you have to undergo years is being hailed as a result of of training and competition updating the team’s traditional before you get a chance to stand method of staging intensive on the podium,” Wang said. trainings on the high-altitude “I’m proud of them. We all Qinghai Plateau, which hadn’t know Russia is one of race reaped Olympic walking’s dominant forces. gold since the After this Olympics, China 2000 Sydney could tell the world that its Games. race walkers are in the lead.” Aft er the 2008 Beijing Games, the sport’s gov- Italian coach erning body invited foreign Chinese race walkers used coaches and sent athletes to to train in plateau camps to train and compete abroad. enhance stamina. China’s London victory in Th ey are known for training the event helped compensate extremely hard, but frequently for its otherwise lackluster receive red cards because of track and fi eld performances. fl awed techniques. The men’s team took one China hired 62-year-old gold and two bronze, while Italian walking coach San- Cheyang Sigya claimed dro Damilano, who has been bronze in the women’s 20km. involved in the sport for 40 A week ago, Chen Ding years, in 2009 and sent its strode to victory in the men’s squad abroad for overseas 20km, becoming China’s fi rst training and competitions. CUI MENG / CHINA DAILY male race walking gold med- “I did change a lot about US diver David Boudia (center) poses with his gold medal, fl anked by UK bronze medalist Thomas Daley (right) and China’s silver medalist Qiu Bo after the men’s 10m alist. them, both technically and platform fi nal at the London Games on Saturday. His compatriot, Wang mentally, and also their way Zhen, fi nished third. of living life,” said Damilano, On Saturday, Si Tianfeng who had 46 medals, includ- took the bronze in the men’s ing fi ve gold, under his coach- 50km, which was another ing belt before working with Divers meet their match breakthrough in this category. China’s team. “It’s a great start,” China’s “London is a turning point track and fi eld chief Du Zhao- for China’s race walking. In the cai said. past, even when the Chinese the front four-and-a-half som- Olympic debut. “Th ese results are encour- walkers — mostly females — ‘Dream Team’ looks to spring back ersaults, Daley led with 466.20 “On the fi ft h dive, I fi nished aging us to stick to modern were strong, they were oft en after losing the 10m platform points and one round to go. on the same score as the Ameri- and advanced methods … (It) disqualifi ed. Qiu and Boudia were tied for can (Boudia), and then we had brought remarkable improve- “Now, with the work we did By CHEN XIANGFENG “Th is was exactly our original second by the tiniest of margins, exactly the same dive in the fi nal ment.” together, they have a cleaner in London plan going in. You just put hard just 0.15 point behind Daley. The rise of strong rivals round,” he explained. Chinese walkers are always and eff ective technique. Th ey chenxiangfeng training into the competition. In an edge-of-the seat final will push us to work “I was very nervous. I have strong contenders in such are now more confident, as @chinadaily.com.cn Th ere is no special pill. Th ere is round, it was the oldest of harder and motivate our competed so many times but international competitions they know their chance of no magic formula. You do not the three divers, 23-year-old ‘‘ have never experienced that as the World Challenges and being disqualifi ed is lower.” Bronze medalist and home- need a Chinese coach to win Boudia, who produced a nearly athletes to grow stron- much nervousness. I think the the World Championships. The Chinese did not have turf sweetheart Th omas Daley a medal. We show what hard faultless back two-and-a-half ger mentally.” judges have been really fair. But they usually lose at the a single dismissal in London. appeared even happier than the work we do, and what the US somersaults with two-and-a- ZHOU JIHONG Th ey aren’t against China.” Olympics because their tech- Bronze medalist Si was cheering crowds when Ameri- and the rest of world can do.” half twists in the pike position TEAM LEADER OF CHINA’S DIVING China sent two competitors niques lack consistency, Du pleased there was not even a can David Boudia upset Chi- Boudia’s coach Adam Soldati to score 102.60 points for gold. SQUAD to the event. But Lin Yue fin- explained. yellow card in his race. nese favorite Qiu Bo to grab the is a fi ve-time Big-10 Conference Although 19-year-old Qiu, ished a disappointing sixth. “Race walking is a sport that “Th e Italian coach improved Olympic men’s 10m platform diving coach of the year and an who beat Boudia to take gold at However, Qiu is determined blends endurance and tech- our technique a lot,” Si said. “It title on Saturday. NCAA diving coach of the year. the 2011 World Championships Alexey said. to revitalize Chinese diving. nique,” Du said. used to be the Chinese were fre- Qiu buried his Th e student at Purdue Uni- in Shanghai, responded with “Thanks to Tom, we are in “Chinese diving dominance “Once our techniques reach quently warned and dismissed head in his arms, versity in Indiana said the men’s 100.80 for the same dive, it was a very good position. We have is the result of everyone’s contri- international standards, we for short and quick steps. We weeping, while his 10m platform is very competi- not enough. good and new junior generations butions,” he said. “Even though can make breakthroughs.” can see our technique was rec- teammates and tive now. The US celebrated its first now. We won (over the) Rus- I didn’t get gold today, it doesn’t China’s 2000 Sydney victory ognized by this Olympic ref- coaches silently walked out of He said he hoped the rest of gold in the 10m platform since sians, Ukrainians and Germans mean we’ll never get another came from Wang Liping in the erees.” the stadium with lowered heads. the world will rise to the chal- Greg Louganis — one of the in the European Championship. one. I believe we’re strong Th e glory of Chinese diving’s lenge in all diving events. greatest divers of all time — It shows we have very good gen- enough to take it back.” “Dream Team” faded at the British diving team perfor- won in 1988. eration for Rio and beyond.” China’s diving team chief London Games. mance director Alexey Evangu- Boudia’s thrilling victory and Zhou Jihong regarded the losses The scene also indicated lov said the better other divers Daley’s sensational infl uence on China refl ecting as tough lessons and vowed to things might get even worse for do, the more nervous the Chi- the sport are bound to inspire London is the second Olym- come back stronger. Chinese diving in the future. nese will become. their countries’ youth. pics in a row where China failed “Th is is a lesson that hurt us a “The world is now slowly “China didn’t show their best. Evangulov, who criticized to win the men’s 10m platform. lot,” Zhou said. catching up with China, and it’s Why? They are not used to Daley for too many media com- In the 2008 Beijing Games, “But we can learn from it. We exciting see me and Tom take competing with someone who mitments and social activities Australian Matthew Mitcham were too optimistic about our gold and bronze,” said Boudia, dives better than them. Th ey’ve before the Olympics, believed won the event with his final strength in the sport and also who — along with Russian win- gotten used to being the best,” the sport will enjoy a bright- dive, denying the Chinese a confi dent that victory was just ner Ilya Zakharov — medaled in Evangulov said. er future in Britain, thanks to clean sweep of all eight medals within reach. Th e rise of strong the men’s 3m springboard, ruin- Aft er fi ve rounds and some of “Daley-mania”. in their home Olympics. rivals will push us to work hard- CUI MENG / CHINA DAILY ing China’s ambition to sweep all the world’s most diffi cult dives “Th is sport in Britain deserves Qiu admitted his tense body er and motivate our athletes to China’s Cheyang Sigya won the bronze in the women’s 20km eight gold medals. in Saturday’s final, including to be one of the famous sports,” and mind cost the gold at his grow stronger mentally.” race walk on Saturday. Zou gives his young son medal for his fi rst birthday gift By SUN XIAOCHEN “I realized the commitment party — a Chinese tradition including opening rival Yos- crowd, which booed every time felt so much pressure, but I had Zou denied all interview in London of a father to his son, and that’s that’s believed to hint to a child’s bany Weitia of Cuba and Irish Zou retreated.