Chinese swimming showed calmness after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced in Beijing on Thursday to change the swimming schedule in Beijing Olympic Games from evening to morning.

 

"We are not surprised by the decision. It's what we did not wish, but we have to face the reality." said Zhang Yadong, head coach of the Chinese national team. "It's fair to every swimmer at the Olympics."

 

According to the IOC, the swimming finals and some of the artistic gymnastics are to be held in the morning during the Beijing Olympics while athletes usually perform better at night and most of the swimming world records are splashed at night.

 

Zhang revealed on Friday that the Chinese swimmers are ready to move up their training time and everyday life ahead of the local time.

 

"We plan to switch our watches earlier. We will get up earlier, eat earlier and train earlier, just like when we are competing in other countries," the head coach said.

 

"We will launch the new plan from next year and testing the new schedule at the national championships next autumn."

 

Women's butterfly swimmer Zhou Yafei, who broke two Asian records over 50 meters and 100 meters at the national championships in September, said: "No matter what the schedule is, we will be ready to swim our best. The most important thing is to improve ourselves."

 

The shift to morning for the swimming finals had sparked controversy since this year, with protests by a number of Olympic champions and world leading swimmers, including Ian Thorpe of Australia, Roland Schoeman of South Africa, Kosuke Kitajima from Japan, Laure Manaudou of France and Pieter van den Hoogenband of the Netherlands.

 

At the 1988 Seoul Games, swimming, gymnastics and athletics finals were held in the morning.

 

(Xinhua News Agency October 28, 2006)