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Having collected an unprecedented overhaul of 28 golds in Sydney
Olympics, China aims for breakthrough outside those sports they
keep perennial dominance over.
In Monday's meeting involving sporting chiefs across the country,
decision-makers, targeting the 2004 Athens Games, decided to make
some reasonable and minor changes to the Olympics sports structure
while continuing to strengthen the dominance in favorite events.
As many as 26 golds in Sydney Olympics are from such sports as
table tennis, badminton, diving, gymnastics, shooting, weightlifting
and judo, all of which are traditional sources of medals for China
in past major events.
But in swimming, athletics and aquatic events, where a total of
119 golds are on offer, China becomes a minnow as they snatched
only one gold in women's walking race and ended up without any medals
in swimming pools.
China also failed to earn Olympic berth in men's soccer, men's
volleyball and women's basketball and had a poor Olympic showing
in women's volleyball and men's basketball. China's women soccer,
which finished runners-up in the 1996 Olympics and 1999 World Cup,
did not even go beyond the group stage in Sydney.
China's euphoria over the Olympics success has been diluted by
experts' warnings that China is yet unable to be rated as a sporting
powerhouse considering its medals imbalance distribution.
The meeting reached consensus that China will not possess the truly
comprehensive strength in the international arena until they gain
headway in such basic sports as swimming and athletics. The meeting
decided to focus on some particular events to make breakthrough.
China will also improve the levels of such three ball games as
basketball, volleyball and football, and strive to tap the potential
of such events as taekwondo and cycling.
China gained one gold in taekwondo which made debut in Sydney Olympics,
and showed their strength in cycling.
"We need to work hard to turn taekwondo and cycling into our
new favorite events," according to a statement of the meeting.
(People's Daily 02/05/01)
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