By Sportswriter Li Baojie
WUHAN, Central China, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- For most Chinese rising junior
rowers, it's ok to be just spectators at the Beijing Games less than ten months
away.
It, however, would be a different story if the hopefuls failed to win
tickets to the 2012 London Games.
The young crews, who have made steady start at the ongoing 6th Chinese City
Games, pinned their hopes mainly on the London Olympics as most of them are set
to miss the Beijing Games next year.
"I'll make further improvement to enable me to compete in the 2012
Olympics. That's my dream," said Zhu Weiwei of Nanjing, gold medallist of the
women's 8km single sculls at the City Games.
"Currently the world top rowers can lead me by as many as 400 meters in the
8km competition," said Zhu. In August the 17-year-old won gold in the women's
single sculls at the 2007 World Rowing Junior Championships in Beijing.
"Each of us cherish the Olympic dream," said Jin Shengjun, also of Nanjing,
"I'll do my utmost to win the opportunity to compete in the London Games as I'm
to miss the Beijing Games."
Jin, 18, led in two repechages to qualify for the men's single sculls in
7:51.75 on Thursday. Jin and his teammate Xue Feng, who won the men's pair at
the 2007 World Rowing Junior Championships, led the second finisher in the men's
pair heat by almost 13 seconds on Wednesday.
"I'm much more strong in the men's pair as you can see from my heat
results," Jin noted, "With hard and scientific training, I believe I can fulfill
my dream and bring back medals."
Ji Renxu, a coach of the Nanjing rowing team, told Xinhua that Chinese
young rowers are giving better and better results as the nation invests much
more than before in promoting the sport that are dominated by Europe and
America.
"Compared with foreign rivals of the same age, our junior crews often boost
stronger body and better techniques," Ji acknowledged, "they are expected to win
a couple of medals and even golds at the London Olympic Games less than five
years away."
Ji's words were echoed by Cao Jingwei, an official with the Water Sports
Administration Center of China's State Administration of Sport.
Cao noted that China's low-profiled junior rowing team clinched
surprisingly six of the 13 golds at the 2007 World Rowing Junior Championships,
three more than Germany. Meanwhile, the national rowing team won three golds and
one silver at the 2007 World Rowing Championships in Germany.
"The hopefuls will help China win more medals at the 2012 Olympics after
they get enriched in the world junior championships," Denis Oswald, president of
the International Federation of Rowing Associations (FISA), told Xinhua on Aug.
9.
However, Olympic medals will not come easily if China fails to have a sound
backup to churn out hopeful junior rowers in the future.
"Only around 2,000 people out of the 1.3 billion population in the country
take up rowing," said Liu Jian, head coach of Nanjing rowing team.
