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Sexy Beijing is taking a special look at the Olympics as Beijing unveils itself and China to the world. In this episode, China Sports Today editor - and former GoKunming contributor - Maggie Rauch talks with Su Fei about tennis sensation Zheng Jie and gender testing. Tags: China Sports Today, Maggie Rauch, Olympics, Sexy Beijing
Editor's note: GoKunming will be crossposting content from our sister site China Sports Today throughout the Olympics. The honors of the first gold medal of these Olympics went to the Czech Republic, when Katerina Emmons won the women's 10-meter air rifle competition. China's hope in that event, Du Li, did not medal. Weightlifter Chen Xiexia was the first to win gold for the home team, winning the women's 48 kg competition, lifting 95 kg in the snatch and 117 kg in the clean and jerk. Tags: Chen Xiexia, China Sports Today, Olympics
Editor's note: GoKunming will be crossposting content from our sister site China Sports Today throughout the Olympics.
After years of unprecedented buildup and international scrutiny, the curtain is about to formally go up on the 2008 Beijing Olympics tonight at 8:08, but some football (soccer) matches have already been played in the last two days, including China's first two performances. On Wednesday the Chinese women's team beat Sweden 2:1 and on Thursday night the Chinese men's team broke even 1:1 in their match against New Zealand… so far, so good for an Olympic host country that will view anything short of the top of the medal count as a failure.
In addition to his book and post at Kalamazoo College, Xu is a frequent source and occasional contributor to the Washington Post regarding sports in China - he recently penned an analysis of the path of football in China and why in football terms China is, as he puts it: "the sick man of the world". China Sports Today spoke with Xu about what this Olympics means to China and how Chinese athletes may perform in this year's games. With the opening of the Olympics only hours away, this is what Xu had to say about this year's games: China Sports Today: What have been the driving forces behind China's increasing interest - and success - in international athletic competition? Xu Guoqi:To demonstrate that China can compete against the best not only economically but also physically. To show that China is a rising power which deserves world respect. To win in sports competition has been a national policy and organized sports have been under direct control of the state. CST: Many noted during the last Olympics that Chinese athletes were showing more emotion than ever before, how emotional do you think these games will be for Chinese athletes? Xu: More emotional than ever, since they are competing in their own Olympic Games and on their home turf.
Xu: It will serve as double-edged sword and help the athletes to perform better but sometimes also contribute to an unnecessary pressure on athletes which can hurt them. A good example of the late case is the 1985 soccer match between the Hong Kong team [still a British colony at the time] and China's national team. The supposedly much stronger China team was defeated because of the enormous pressure to win. CST: As a Chinese person living in the United States, what similarities and/or differences do you see between the ways Chinese and Americans view sports? Xu: Chinese have injected too many political ingredients into sports, as it links the results to national honor and pride. Sports in China have also carried too much of a historical burden and have been especially linked to China's past humiliation. In the USA, it seems that they nowadays people are less likely to link sports with political burdens or history. They tend to enjoy the sports more and take the results of victory or loss less emotionally. CST: In your book you discuss the political dynamic of the relationship between China and the Olympics. If the Beijing games go on without any major problems, what benefits - if any - do you think China will reap in terms of its international image and standing? Xu: It will help the Chinese to get rid of the long-lasting syndrome of can-do spirit mixed with strong sense of inferiority and start to be confident of themselves and of the nation. It will project an image of China which is open, dynamic, and internationalized and it will enhance the international prestige and status of both the nation and the regime. CST: What event or events will you be watching closest in this year's Olympics? Xu: Liu Xiang's 110 meters hurdle, soccer matches and the basketball games. Tags: China Sports Today, Olympics, Xu Guoqi Journalists discuss the Olympic impact on ChinaThursday, 7th August 2008 ~ Chris ~ Link ~ Comments (1)
Despite the Olympics being held in Beijing and six other coastal cities, the Olympics are essentially a local event for all of China. Kunming may not be hosting any events, but it has played its own role in the runup to the games, serving as a high-altitude training base, not just for China's Olympians but also for athletes from Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and several other countries. With the torch preparing to enter the National Stadium aka 'The Bird's Nest', American sports network ESPN arranged a journalist roundtable to discuss the political repercussions of China hosting the games, as well as how China will perform in different events. Host Anthony Tao was joined by Newsweek Beijing bureau chief Melinda Liu, China Daily columnist Raymond Zhou, Sexy Beijing writer, editor and host Anna Sophie Loewenberg. Rounding out the roundtable was former GoKunming contributor Maggie Rauch, who is now based in Beijing as co-founder and editor of China Sports Today, the foremost English-language source of information about sports in China [disclosure: your correspondent is a contributor to and cofounder of China Sports Today]
A transcript of the ESPN roundtable can be viewed here. Our favorite quote may be this one by China Daily's Zhou: "Personally, I only care about Liu Xiang because I feel Liu Xiang winning the gold medal is tantamount to Barack Obama winning the presidency in the United States. Because it's about more than sports. It's about shattering stereotypes that Asians are intrinsically not good at track and field." Images: ESPN Related article: China's high-altitude training centers Tags: Anna Sophie Loewenberg, Barack Obama, China Daily, China Sports Today, ESPN, Liu Xiang, Maggie Rauch, Melinda Liu, Newsweek, Olympics, Raymond Zhou, Sexy Beijing New websites for China travellers and sports fansThursday, 3rd April 2008 ~ Matthew ~ Link ~ Comments (1)
China City Listings is filled with listings for restaurants, hotels, shops, lawyers, swimming pools, veterinarians, etc. throughout China. Data in the GoKunming listings is now 'piped in' from China City Listings. If you wish to add a listing for Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Chengdu, Lhasa or several other cities, you can do so here via GoKunming if you are a registered user. Alternatively, you can register at China City Listings and submit here. One of the site's more unique and useful functions is the China Travel Bag, which allows you to select the places you want to visit - with Chinese and English addresses - and then export them as a PDF that you can print out for easy use on the road.
Tags: China City Listings, China Sports Today, Maggie Rauch |
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