In an unusual move to secure a gymnastics golden harvest at nextyear's Olympic Games, Chinese gymnasts and their coaches will signcontracts with the sport's state governing center to ensureeveryone in the 2008 lineup will be injury free and drug free, atop team official said.
"In the coming days, all the Chinese national coaches will signcontracts with the gymnastics administrative center to preventserious injuries from happening before the Beijing Games. Also allthe gymnasts will sign with the center to prevent any dopingoffenses," China's gymnastics team leader Zhang Peiwen said on thesidelines of the 2007 Good Luck Beijing Gymnastics InternationalInvitational Tournament, which ended on Monday in the newly builtNational Indoor Stadium.
"I don't know exactly when they will sign because we are stillworking on the details of the contracts. But I think it will bepretty soon."
In a high-risk sport where every athlete is trying to jumphigher and rotate faster in fractions of seconds, injuries arealmost inevitable. This is especially true since the FIG(International Gymnastics Federation) enacted a new scoring system,which encourages gymnasts to go for more difficult routines.
But for the Chinese gymnasts who have prevailed on the worldstage in recent years, it's no longer a matter of how difficulttheir routines are - it's also a matter of how healthy they arecome next August.
"We don't want the injuries to pull our legs and destroy ourprospects for the Beijing Games," Zhang said. "I hope we can reduceinjuries to a minimum by signing these contracts."
Chinese officials fear any injury - particularly one to theirelite athletes - will put their efforts to waste, as they aretaking arguably the best Chinese team in history into the BeijingGames. The Chinese already pocketed 13 gold medals in the last twoWorld Championships, including an eight-gold haul at the AarhusWorlds.
Fears of injury have grown considerably since China's top malegymnast, Li Xiaopeng, a 14-time world and Olympic champion, hasstruggled to recover from a bone fracture in his foot sufferedduring training in March.
The 26-year-old's slow recovery has caused him to miss all ofthe 2007 season, including the Good Luck invitational in which heplanned to compete. His long-term absence has raised concerns aboutwhether he will be ready to join the Chinese team in Beijing nextyear.
"His recovery has been slow," confessed Zhang. "We took aconservative healing approach to his injury, but his situation isnot stable."
Fortunately, China is abundant with gymnastics talent, and youngstars have already filled Li's giant shoes. Without Li, who isconsidered the most successful Chinese gymnast together with LiNing, the Chinese team is still capable of dominating thecompetition like it has in the last two Worlds, earningback-to-back titles in men's team, men's individual all-around,pommel horse and rings.
"This is our best Olympic preparation ever," Zhang said. "Apartfrom Li, none of the team is troubled by injuries. They can puttheir best efforts into the coming winter training camp."
To help prevent injuries, the center has also hired a back-upteam of psychologists and dozens of masseurs from around thecountry. Elite gymnasts are also examined once a week at PekingUniversity Third Hospital, which is known for its sportsrehabilitation.
The contracts also suggest the team, which is already performingsome of the most difficult routines in the world, is trying toreach a balance between its level difficulty and its level ofstability before next year's all-important show.
"We will mainly go for stability during the winter training,"Zhang said. "I hope we can do it safely and smoothly."
Careless drug offenses are another major concern for the Chinesecamp, so gymnasts will sign contracts forbidding drug use aswell.
"I do not mean our gymnasts will take drugs intentionally, but Iam just afraid that they might take them by mistake, such asunauthorized nutritious medicines," Zhang said.
"The purpose of signing the contract is to give all gymnasts awarning and to avoid any accidents."
Although injury cast a shadow over Li Xiaopeng's Olympicprospects, there was better news for Lu Bin, the 28-year-oldveteran who returned strongly from his Achilles tendon injury towin four gold medals at the Good Luck invitational. The tournamentwas the first competition since the injury for Lu, who wassidelined for 14 months, but he performed as if he had never left,finishing first in men's rings, vault, pommel horse and men'steam.
"That is a remarkable achievement," Zhang said, heaping praiseupon Lu. "Faced with serious injury, he did not give up. I justlove that spirit, and that will inspire the whole team to betterprepare for the Olympic Games."
Lu's comeback put him back into a heated race for an Olympicticket on the Chinese men's team.
"Lu's good form is a big stimulation for the team. Every gymnastwill feel the pressure and realize he will be eliminated if hedoesn't work hard enough," said Zhang.
Currently, the team named a preliminary 10-member squad. Thelist will be shortened to six before the 2008 Games.
"The chance is 50-50 for everyone," Zhang said. "Even Lu knowsonly next year's form counts."
(China Daily December 7, 2007)