Reports on Recent National Gymnastic Training Camp(1)

(-translated by longdoydoy)

Female presenter: For the past few days, the Chinese gymnastic teams have been training at the national training hall. Every year, these training programs have been adding new blood to the national team.
Male presenter: In view of the fact that the London Olympics is coming up next year, the national team coaches hope to discover a couple more talents despite several selection programs have already been conducted.

(scene shows young hopefuls putting through their paces)
Narrator: It was 12 noon, the young participants started training; standard procedures will not be followed at this program, the selection outcome will be determined purely by the experiences of the coaches.
Coach Lu: With this particular program, we hope to add to our existing selected group for the 2012 Olympics.
Coach He: We just keep hoping that we could get hold of a couple more that are with special qualities.
Coach Lu: We hope to find some with powerful legs, that’s what our WAG team currently needs.

Narrator: For the kids from these provincial teams, this is a much longed opportunity to be able to broaden their horizons in these national programs.

(young gymnasts that are not of age for the London Olympics were allowed to participate in selection programs for the benefits of their experiences; if selected, they are recruited into the national second team)

(young gymnasts, twin sisters interviewed)
The Xu sisters: I’m Xu Li. I’m Xu Yue.
Interviewer, Zhang Jie: What do you think of your strengths at this selection?
Xu Yue: I think it’s acceptable.
Xu Li: We hope that we could achieve great results like all these big sisters (seniors) so as to repay the dedications we received from our parents and coaches.

(Guangdong team coach, Tang Jian, interviewed about the young ones)
Coach Tang: When they saw the Olympic champions, they called out to them excitedly.
Jie: What did they say?
Coach Tang: They were like, “Oh! That’s big sister Yuan Yuan! And that’s big sister Kexin!” Yeah, the kids were just so moved seeing them. Also that, their desire of self-expressiveness is so intense.

(back to the interview of the Xu sisters)
Xu Li: We hope that the coaches will take notice of us more.
Xu Yue: Yeah, hope that they will notice us more, we will strive to be recruited. (big smile)

(Zhang Nan interviewed)
Narrator: We met Beijing team coach, Zhang Nan, at the camp.
Zhang Nan: I have six athletes in my care, but two of them stayed (they are not of age), as this program aims for the ones born in ‘96, ‘98. (Nan points to 2 gymnasts) She’s born in ‘97, and this one in ‘98. They have beautiful physiques.

(Zhang Nan talks about her responsibilities at this program)
Zhang Nan: To me, this is an opportunity for me to learn, to gain experience; and of course, hoping that my athletes will catch the eyes of the coaches. (smiles)
(scene shows young athletes looking from balcony)
Narrator: For the young gymnasts that are not of age for the Olympics, they were grateful that they still get to participate in this program.

(Sun Wei, gymnastic coach of Wu Han Sports Institute, interviewed)
Coach Sun: These arrangements greatly induced the steadfastness of the kids. I asked one particular athlete that if she would love to get to stay in the national institute, and she said that she would love to, and I told her that “would love to” is not enough, that she must first be really well trained; she replied, “I will do that.”

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The Xu sisters are really good and cute too, and we will definitely see them both more in the near future. Other twins Chinese gymnasts I can remember include Mo Huilan& Mo Huifang, Li Dashuan& Li Xiaoshuan.

Besides, Zhang Nan is indeed a bossy coach.