Act Acting » Acting Coach » Chinese Female Athletes are AMAZING!
Chinese Female Athletes are AMAZING!
Question:
We have no Chinese runners….only Mexican boys, But they can run!! We have been feeding our McFarland High School Cross Country team the Sunrider herbal whole foods, sports line. It just the greatest….no attificial anything, just "Food". Greatest Fast Food available on the market!! Anyone knowing anything about high school cross country, knows McFarland. :-)
Response:
The question still remains – why do the Chinese always break records when they are within the confines of their own country but yet, other than diving – all the other sports they hold WR’s in – they rarely do well in international competition
I, as a Chinese, also want to see that the Chinese break world records in international competitions, which is certainly more credible (of course these days this may not be the case for the Chinese anyway). Why do they always break records at home? I don’t know! I really want to know! However, this has been true only twice, once this year, once two or three years ago. It may be too early to say that the Chinese always break records at home (sample size=2 is a little too small). Maybe we should give the athletes more time to prove themselves. One can suspect that the Chinese athletes are all on drugs (although I think it is unlikely. After all, the Chinese are as decent a people as any other people in the world.), but please do not confuse suspicions with facts. No one has the right to say that the Chinese athletes are cheating, at least for now, because there is no evidence yet.
Response:
The question still remains – why do the Chinese always break records when they are within the confines of their own country but yet, other than diving – all the other sports they hold WR’s in – they rarely do well in international competition
2 answers: 1) The national games is more important than games oversea. Everything is geared toward it. 2) WR’s in long distance races are not normally achieved in high profiled meets like the Olympics or the WCs. The chinese runners, Ma’s and non-Ma’s did well. By the way, there are 2 other camps in china. Mao took over the old Ma’s army runner (with name like Wang Junxia) and Zhang who is also running a different school that just produced great short distance runners. One more thing. At the end of the day, records by the chinese will never be accepted by the west. On the other hand, the chinese will take their record and titles back to china and get their payoff there. China is as capitalistic as one can get now. They will make millions from appearance and shoe contract IN CHINA which they will never get in the west anyway. ALL the western & japanese shoe companies will be too happy to pay them. So what do they care the west accept their records or not.
Response:
Being a chinese and a runner, it used to hurt when every thing the chinese did is automatically tagged with a drug charge. I have since accepted the guilty until proven innocent mentality of the west. It no longer really mean much to me anyway. Unless you are an elite runner, this should not have any effect. Do people at the local 5K think you are on drugs?
I never had the chance to find out. I am not that good. So what’s your point? You are saying the chinese runners should be looked at as guilty before proven innocent?? But for whatever it’s worth, here are some chinese perspectives: 1) Chinese culture does not like physical work. Sports are traditionally looked down on. Sports in China does not has a history. China is now still a society closed to most westerners. And to have any world records coming out of a nation that used to have the title ’sick men of Asia’ is unacceptible to the west, I guess, legit or not. If sports are looked down upon how come table tennis, volleyball and gymnastics are so popular and the schools are state run?
The state run schools do they for scouting purposes. The attitude toward sport is cultural. The communist countries have promoted sports as an extension of their philosophy since post WWII.
Wrong. The communist took over in 49. There no sport promotion in china before the around the 70’s. 2) There are males runners in the marathons that has good times. in the 2:09 range. You don’t hear about them because they don’t run outside of china. And they are not up to the world record level. Neither are the Americans men. Let’s get them out there running against the best. that is the way you improve!
I can’t answer that question because I don’t run the gov over there. 3) The focus of the west is on Ma, the one coach, the chinese Dennis Rodman. May be you don’t like him, but his method seems to work. None of runners are ever tested positive and I have yet to hear a convining evidence on how drugs can help distance running. Also, a number of other runners that broke record are not Ma’s runners. So I guess the argument here is EVERYONE in china are using drugs. If Ma hears this comparison, he may sue for defamation….
I doubt it. I think he is acting like the americans. He loves the attention, just like Rodman. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Runners never tested positive: Part of the reason is avoiding competition outside China. But you are right, they need to be considered innocent until proven guilty (do the Chinese courts think that way or is it just some Western notion?). EPO can help distance runners a great deal. The research on that is clear and supportive. 4) Ma’s camp is run like an army camp. Runners are totally dedicated to running. All distractions are blocked off. He hand picked all the girls from poor rural farms and gives them the incentives to do this. I am not sure these methods can be used on man or in the west. May be someone in the west can try it. The Japanese do similar things with its marathoners, triathletes and keiren riders. But China is not Japan… Anyway, at the end of the day, all these records will be ignored in the west, legit or not. That’s just the way it’s going to be. Oh well..
Response:
It is surprising to see so many people taking the naive "if they have not been caught, they are innocent" approach based on the history of drugs in sport. 1. Athletes in the former GDR used drugs as a routine part of their training, taken under medical supervision. This was a known fact as early as 1977. To my knowledge there were never any GDR athletes caught for drug use until after the wall fell. A number of GDR coaches went to China prior to the amazing performances in swimming and running by Chinese athletes (females). 2. Ben Johnson and others in Canada used drugs for 7 years or so always passing mandatory drug tests until the ego of his drug doctor lead to his getting caught at the Korea Olympics. 3. There have been numerous stories from strong sources such as the medical drug testing team at the LA Olympics that positive drug tests were suppressed. 4. When sport becomes big business or politics (GDR and China) anything goes. Ken Parker Runner’s Web http://www.runnersweb.com/running.html
Response:
I attended a seminar given by a Canadian coach who had gone to China and had gone to see Ma’s first group of runners train. I recall that he reported the following about the runners: 1. They did train with huge volumes(25 -30 miles a day at times) 2. They lived a some what spartan lifestyle of run-eat-sleep and nothing else
What I don’t understand is why no onein the US try to duplicate this? The US does that with their female gymnasts. Mey be that’s what one needs to get to that level.
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – 2) There are males runners in the marathons that has good times. in the 2:09 range. You don’t hear about them because they don’t run outside of china. And they are not up to the world record level. Neither are the Americans men. This is the whole point. American men are indeed, mediocre when it comes to the marathon. So are American women. American men middle distance runners are somewhat better; so are American women. American sprinters are at the world best level; so are American women. This pattern also generally holds for the field events. There are no strength or speed related sports of which I am aware at which American women outperform American men. And this pretty much holds for the rest of the world, as well. But it does not hold for China.
Well, it doesn’t hold true for the Moroccans either. Moroccan men are at the top of all the mid to long distance. Where are their women? I don’t hear any charges saying well, their women are not measuring up, therefore their men must be using drugs. Also, the Kenyan momen are just coming on to the picture. There used to be no Kenyan women runners at all.
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – The question still remains – why do the Chinese always break records when they are within the confines of their own country but yet, other than diving – all the other sports they hold WR’s in – they rarely do well in international competition 2 answers: 1) The national games is more important than games oversea. Everything is geared toward it. 2) WR’s in long distance races are not normally achieved in high profiled meets like the Olympics or the WCs. The chinese runners, Ma’s and non-Ma’s did well.
2 good points. #2 especially. When was the last time a middle distance or longer record was set at the WC or OG? It usually takes a rabbitt to help….
Response:
on a related note, the Chinese woman who won the weightlifting title at 180 pounds (or close) was DQ’ed when she tested positive for drugs (no details on the news summary I saw). Better living through chemistry! If you know details, please let me know.
Article from South China Morning Post Friday October 24 1997 National Games Weightlifter stripped of bronze medal after positive drug test JESSIE HUI in Shanghai A female weightlifter was stripped of her bronze medal at the China National Games yesterday after testing positive for a banned drug. Zhang Xiaoli, 23, from Jilin province won her medal in the 82-kilogram category. She tested positive on Monday and her second test also came up positive yesterday. Zhang’s was the third positive drugs test since the Games opened on October 12 and clouded some otherwise spectacular performances in the weightlifting events. More than 20 world records have been bettered by China’s weightlifters, although the International Weightlifting Federation said it could not recognise the records because its representatives were not attending the Games. Jin Chunlan of Ningxia and Guangdong’s Chen Xiaomin were caught cheating last week although neither had won a medal. Yuan Weimin, the vice chairman of the Chinese Sports Committee, yesterday said that the number of positive tests was the lowest in the history of the National Games. ”We have have carried out 3,224 tests from January 1 to October 20 – 480 of which were conducted since the Games opened on October 12,” Yuan said. ”Of these, 14 came back positive, including three at these Games. ”The number of positive cases is the lowest in the history of the National Games.” Yuan added that the Games in Shanghai had been one of the most successful ever. ”Up till now, 16 athletes have 19 times broken the world records in seven Olympic events,” said Yuan. ”World records in 33 non-Olympic events were beaten 648 times by 163 athletes, while 53 Asian records were beaten 367 times by 100 athletes. ”And the most encouraging thing is that most of the new world record holders are under the age of 20. Through scientific and systematic training, their standards have been significantly lifted.”
Response:
on a related note, the Chinese woman who won the weightlifting title at 180 pounds (or close) was DQ’ed when she tested positive for drugs (no details on the news summary I saw). Better living through chemistry!
Response:
The women don’t take drug either but U.S. runner Mary Decker Tabb Slaney did and got caught.
Controversial and unscientific at best. Also she is technically Mary Decker Tabb Decker Slaney. The men are busy fucking white middle age women, who paid to get serviced.
What the hell is this line all about???? – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Maybe the men don’t like drugs
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Back to the original question, wow, what a smoking gun. Many like Joe will jump immediately on the drug bandwagon. Maybe I’m more of an optimist but I prefer innocent until proven guilty and they have not been caught. Maybe that turtle blood really works. 
I’ver always wondered if it was culture driven. It’s common knowledge that Chinese females are struggling for existence. I reference the population problem and the controls on the number of kids, one, and a fenmale is usually not appreciated. This is a separate issue and more for one of the sociology groups. On the other hand, I wonder if a significant factor in what drives the women harder. Being a chinese and a runner, it used to hurt when every thing the chinese did is automatically tagged with a drug charge. I have since accepted the guilty until proven innocent mentality of the west. It no longer really mean much to me anyway. But for whatever it’s worth, here are some chinese perspectives: 1) Chinese culture does not like physical work. Sports are traditionally looked down on. Sports in China does not has a history. China is now still a society closed to most westerners. And to have any world records coming out of a nation that used to have the title ’sick men of Asia’ is unacceptible to the west, I guess, legit or not. 2) There are males runners in the marathons that has good times. in the 2:09 range. You don’t hear about them because they don’t run outside of china. And they are not up to the world record level. Neither are the Americans men. 3) The focus of the west is on Ma, the one coach, the chinese Dennis Rodman. May be you don’t like him, but his method seems to work. None of runners are ever tested positive and I have yet to hear a convining evidence on how drugs can help distance running. Also, a number of other runners that broke record are not Ma’s runners. So I guess the argument here is EVERYONE in china are using drugs. 4) Ma’s camp is run like an army camp. Runners are totally dedicated to running. All distractions are blocked off. He hand picked all the girls from poor rural farms and gives them the incentives to do this. I am not sure these methods can be used on man or in the west. May be someone in the west can try it. Anyway, at the end of the day, all these records will be ignored in the west, legit or not. That’s just the way it’s going to be. Oh well..
The question still remains – why do the Chinese always break records when they are within the confines of their own country but yet, other than diving – all the other sports they hold WR’s in – they rarely do well in international competition
Response:
Once separated, they have little family contact and are forced into a crazy training schedule. Crazy? At this level the sole objective is to win. I have the impression that there is an element of sour grapes here. If a US coach was able to take a team of runners to world domination a lot less attention would be paid to the methods necessary to achieve that. Apologies if I’m wrong here. being forcefully removed from their homes
It is interesting to note that in the US female gymnasts often leave home at a young age to go train elsewhere. Tennis players often go to Bolliteri (poor sp) in FL for training and school. One big difference is that this is not a GOVERNMENT decision or even encouraged position (that I have ever heard). In China, I get the impression that the government encourages this and makes it beneficial to do so.
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Being a chinese and a runner, it used to hurt when every thing the chinese did is automatically tagged with a drug charge. I have since accepted the guilty until proven innocent mentality of the west. It no longer really mean much to me anyway. Unless you are an elite runner, this should not have any effect. Do people at the local 5K think you are on drugs? I never had the chance to find out. I am not that good. So what’s your point? You are saying the chinese runners should be looked at as guilty before proven innocent??
No… I just doubt that if you are running a 20 min 5K that anyone is going to think you are doping. In this case, I doubt many would group all Chinese together on this issue. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – But for whatever it’s worth, here are some chinese perspectives: 1) Chinese culture does not like physical work. Sports are traditionally looked down on. Sports in China does not has a history. China is now still a society closed to most westerners. And to have any world records coming out of a nation that used to have the title ’sick men of Asia’ is unacceptible to the west, I guess, legit or not. If sports are looked down upon how come table tennis, volleyball and gymnastics are so popular and the schools are state run? The state run schools do they for scouting purposes. The attitude toward sport is cultural. The communist countries have promoted sports as an extension of their philosophy since post WWII. Wrong. The communist took over in 49. There no sport promotion in china before the around the 70’s.
There have been other communist countries: Soviet Union, East Germany, Yugoslavia, Cuba…. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – 2) There are males runners in the marathons that has good times. in the 2:09 range. You don’t hear about them because they don’t run outside of china. And they are not up to the world record level. Neither are the Americans men. Let’s get them out there running against the best. that is the way you improve! I can’t answer that question because I don’t run the gov over there. 3) The focus of the west is on Ma, the one coach, the chinese Dennis Rodman. May be you don’t like him, but his method seems to work. None of runners are ever tested positive and I have yet to hear a convining evidence on how drugs can help distance running. Also, a number of other runners that broke record are not Ma’s runners. So I guess the argument here is EVERYONE in china are using drugs. If Ma hears this comparison, he may sue for defamation…. I doubt it. I think he is acting like the americans. He loves the attention, just like Rodman. Runners never tested positive: Part of the reason is avoiding competition outside China. But you are right, they need to be considered innocent until proven guilty (do the Chinese courts think that way or is it just some Western notion?). EPO can help distance runners a great deal. The research on that is clear and supportive. 4) Ma’s camp is run like an army camp. Runners are totally dedicated to running. All distractions are blocked off. He hand picked all the girls from poor rural farms and gives them the incentives to do this. I am not sure these methods can be used on man or in the west. May be someone in the west can try it. The Japanese do similar things with its marathoners, triathletes and keiren riders. But China is not Japan… Anyway, at the end of the day, all these records will be ignored in the west, legit or not. That’s just the way it’s going to be. Oh well..
Response:
Stephen points out that the records being broken by the women are being broken by a large amount. He compares this with the inching down of the 800m men’s record. I would offer some differences: 1) As distance increases, the chances of breaking a record by a lot increases. How much of an improvement percentage wise is the record? In the 100m, the record is often broken by hundreths of a second. In the 10K, it is many seconds. 2) With women being new to the scene and several distances just added in the past few years, these records will probably fall by leaps and bounds for a while. For instance, the 3000 and 5000 are "new" events (in that they are just now being recognized (at least only over about the last 10 years). 3) As the pool of athletes competing increases, the odds on finding the genetic freak who can (and will) train to run fast (or swim or whatever) increases. With women, this is even more true. The African women are showing impressively and they have only been on the scene for a few years. Look at Stephen’s sport of triathlon at how the pool of athletes has increased and the records have tumbled. (Doing an Ironman under 8 hours is pretty damn impressive—also supports item 1 in many ways).
Response:
Back to the original question, wow, what a smoking gun. Many like Joe will jump immediately on the drug bandwagon. Maybe I’m more of an optimist but I prefer innocent until proven guilty and they have not been caught. Maybe that turtle blood really works. I’ver always wondered if it was culture driven. It’s common knowledge that Chinese females are struggling for existence. I reference the population problem and the controls on the number of kids, one, and a fenmale is usually not appreciated. This is a separate issue and more for one of the sociology groups. On the other hand, I wonder if a significant factor in what drives the women harder.
Being a chinese and a runner, it used to hurt when every thing the chinese did is automatically tagged with a drug charge. I have since accepted the guilty until proven innocent mentality of the west. It no longer really mean much to me anyway. But for whatever it’s worth, here are some chinese perspectives: 1) Chinese culture does not like physical work. Sports are traditionally looked down on. Sports in China does not has a history. China is now still a society closed to most westerners. And to have any world records coming out of a nation that used to have the title ’sick men of Asia’ is unacceptible to the west, I guess, legit or not. 2) There are males runners in the marathons that has good times. in the 2:09 range. You don’t hear about them because they don’t run outside of china. And they are not up to the world record level. Neither are the Americans men. 3) The focus of the west is on Ma, the one coach, the chinese Dennis Rodman. May be you don’t like him, but his method seems to work. None of runners are ever tested positive and I have yet to hear a convining evidence on how drugs can help distance running. Also, a number of other runners that broke record are not Ma’s runners. So I guess the argument here is EVERYONE in china are using drugs. 4) Ma’s camp is run like an army camp. Runners are totally dedicated to running. All distractions are blocked off. He hand picked all the girls from poor rural farms and gives them the incentives to do this. I am not sure these methods can be used on man or in the west. May be someone in the west can try it. Anyway, at the end of the day, all these records will be ignored in the west, legit or not. That’s just the way it’s going to be. Oh well..
Response:
And, yes, it’s obvious why most of the Chinese men could not even make finals at US nationals. Much too short and slight in stature. Hardly fair, in fact.
Funny, Janet Evans fits that description perfectly! – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –
Response:
: Incredible, incredible performances. Just breathtaking. In one meet. : Two gifted Chinese women athletes shattering the WR for : the 5000 meters on the athletics oval. In the same race! : All – in – all, a historic week. : But in track middle distance and distance running, : small, slight athletes have the advantage. And yet : the Chinese men cannot perform to the levels of their : female counterparts. : Can anyone tell me why this is so? : – Larry Weisenthal Let’s be realistic. It is quite likely that not a single Chinese record is legit, that is, drug-free. Anytime a country smashes so many records in such a short period of time with no-name athletes, hmm, in their own meet, and while they continue to stymie drug-testing efforts, there is some very shady business going on. I just feel bad for the legitamite women athletes who now have no shot at a world record. My two cents. Joe
Response:
of an optimist but I prefer innocent until proven guilty and they have not been caught. Maybe that turtle blood really works.
I’m with you there Doug. Sure the results coming through seem strange, to say the least. One or two remarkable runners, ok, but when there are: so many, all producing performances that are just not seen in the rest of the world all during the same competition all women (just the men’s SC) by runners who rarely, if at all, compete outside China and young, apparently some of these runners are just 16 and 17 yrs old It’s no wonder that there will be some degree of scepticism. I’ver always wondered if it was culture driven. It’s common knowledge that Chinese females are struggling for existence.
I don’t go for that, quite. But the mind can be a powerful thing. Some of the commentary I’ve read gives the idea that each group is *very* tightly knit. Devoted to their trainer. Something along the lines of a fanatical religious sect? Would it also be possible that given outstanding running skills, such devotion would enable the runners to dig much deeper than others when it *really* counts (apparently these 4 yearly games are THE athletic pinacle in China). And could it also be the case that benefits from such fanatism would be most pronounced in young females? Just some idle speculation. Miles — Cut the 0_fin~SPAM_ to email back to me
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – : Incredible, incredible performances. Just breathtaking. In one meet. : Two gifted Chinese women athletes shattering the WR for : the 5000 meters on the athletics oval. In the same race! : All – in – all, a historic week. : But in track middle distance and distance running, : small, slight athletes have the advantage. And yet : the Chinese men cannot perform to the levels of their : female counterparts. : Can anyone tell me why this is so? : – Larry Weisenthal Let’s be realistic. It is quite likely that not a single Chinese record is legit, that is, drug-free. Anytime a country smashes so many records in such a short period of time with no-name athletes, hmm, in their own meet, and while they continue to stymie drug-testing efforts, there is some very shady business going on. I just feel bad for the legitamite women athletes who now have no shot at a world record. My two cents. Joe
Bravo! Agree wholeheartedly. — Jeff
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – [snip] …And yet the Chinese men cannot perform to the levels of their female counterparts. Can anyone tell me why this is so? My gut response is that pharmacology tends to aid women more than men… where were all these amazing athletes in Atlanta? :) The Chinese men are coming along. During the Chinese national games, five male swimmers did well enough to be among the world top ten this year. One ranked No. 2 in the world. Another No.3. Of course the Chinese male athletes have always been behind, in the past twenty years. Not only in swimming and running. For example, China’s female soccer team is one of the best in the world, the men’s team is not one of the best in Asia yet. Women’s softball team got a silver medal at last year’s Olympics, but have you ever heard of china’s men’s baseball team? Several chinese women are among the top 10 or 20 chess players in the world, and in fact Xie Jun has been the female world champion for two year. None of the Chinese male chess players, on the other hand, ranked high in the world. Plus, if you go to a Chinese university, you will be amazed how many math and physics professors there are women. Chairman Mao once said that Chinese women can and should hold half the sky. Well, I think one reason is that the Chinese did a fairly good job to achieve equal status for women. Do I believe the Chinese are on drugs? No, because there is no evidence. Do I believe that they are not on drug? No, because there is no evidence.
And by the way, I forgot the mention table tennis, badminton, volleyball, basketball, figure skating, in all of which the Chinese women are ranked higher in the world than the men. The phenomenon "yin sheng yang shuai"(women performing better than men) has been discussed widely in China since probably the mid-80’s.
Response:
[snip] …And yet the Chinese men cannot perform to the levels of their female counterparts. Can anyone tell me why this is so? My gut response is that pharmacology tends to aid women more than men… where were all these amazing athletes in Atlanta? :)
The Chinese men are coming along. During the Chinese national games, five male swimmers did well enough to be among the world top ten this year. One ranked No. 2 in the world. Another No.3. Of course the Chinese male athletes have always been behind, in the past twenty years. Not only in swimming and running. For example, China’s female soccer team is one of the best in the world, the men’s team is not one of the best in Asia yet. Women’s softball team got a silver medal at last year’s Olympics, but have you ever heard of china’s men’s baseball team? Several chinese women are among the top 10 or 20 chess players in the world, and in fact Xie Jun has been the female world champion for two year. None of the Chinese male chess players, on the other hand, ranked high in the world. Plus, if you go to a Chinese university, you will be amazed how many math and physics professors there are women. Chairman Mao once said that Chinese women can and should hold half the sky. Well, I think one reason is that the Chinese did a fairly good job to achieve equal status for women. Do I believe the Chinese are on drugs? No, because there is no evidence. Do I believe that they are not on drug? No, because there is no evidence.
Response:
Having graduated with a B.A. in political science and a minor is exercise science I have looked into this every subject in some depth. Let me tell you why Chinese female athletes performs so good in international events. Two words: training camps and drugs. Any child believed to have potental in a given sport is separated from their family between the ages of 3 to 5 in China. Once separated, they have little family contact and are forced into a crazy training schedule. People in the US always bring up criticism about the hours required for olympic caliber training for US athletes. Image these same athletes being forcefully removed from their homes to attend a training camp until they either fail or mentally breakdown. Why is it that you very seldomly see repeat performers on Chinese Olympic teams? There have been some good articles and books published on this issue. Second, I hope that everyone understands that international sporting events are not "clean." As much as we hear about drug testing today, it is still very prevalent in all sports. I have done muching looking into drug use amoung high school and olympic athletes and found that it is very prevalent and increasing. I am not just refering to steriods. There are several other substances on the market today that can produce superhuman results in power, strengh and also endurance which are overlooked during testing (i.e., GH, caffine, ephidrine). Ben Johnson was not doing something that all the other track athletes were not doing when his medal was taken away from him. The politics of the situation (Carl Lewis’ powerful supporters) had much to do with the retesting of Johnson after he had won. Think about it. How many muscluar Chinese women do you know or have seen. Not many, I would guess. Brandon
Response:
Maybe the men don’t like drugs
Response:
Cross-posted to rec.sport.swimming: Fans of female competition in Olympic sports certainly do have a lot to cheer about this week. Incredible performances by Chinese women athletes – truly pushing the performance envelope to historic proportions. My hat’s certainly off to these athletes and their innovative coaches. First we had swimming: 4:34 in the 400 IM, shattering East German Petra Schneider’s long- standing record. And a 4:36 by another great swimmer in the same race! And I think some others flirting with 4:40. And the WR setter had close to a 20 second time drop! My 10 year old would be jealous of a drop of that magnitude. More amazing still was the 200 IM. 2:09 WR! 2:11 second place in the same race (would have been WR)! And the 400 free. 4:05…not far off from Janet Evans’ "untouchable" WR. And the 200 free. 2 athletes with 1:57s, and two others around 2:00. Incredible, incredible performances. Just breathtaking. In one meet. And, yes, it’s obvious why most of the Chinese men could not even make finals at US nationals. Much too short and slight in stature. Hardly fair, in fact. And now we have TRACK! Two gifted Chinese women athletes shattering the WR for the 5000 meters on the athletics oval. In the same race! All – in – all, a historic week. As great as the Chinese women are in track, however (and a couple of years ago their women were shattering track records right and left, as they appear to be poised to do again), the Chinese men just don’t seem to be up to par. In swimming, as I said, it is obvious why this is so (small stature, in a sport which rewards long bodies). But in track middle distance and distance running, small, slight athletes have the advantage. And yet the Chinese men cannot perform to the levels of their female counterparts. Can anyone tell me why this is so? – Larry Weisenthal
Response:
Related Posts
- This is your Capt speaking. . .
- Accent. How do I know if I have an accent
- OT a bit-- Usenet Netiquette
- Tri position on bike
- Actress looking for one-woman show
- Should I trust her?
- A POLL RE: Acting Coaches
- Acting questions!
- aha and brian rezac
- O.T. Team of the Century