Kids hop, skip and jump-rope their way to world

At first glance, Shuangfu No 2 Primary School in Chongqing's Jiangjin district seems to be an ordinary public school. It mainly admits children from low-income migrant families.

But it has set records and gained international fame with its pride and joy — the jump-rope team.

Last year, the team won six gold medals, two silvers and two bronzes at the 10th Asian jump-rope championships in Hong Kong, breaking two Asian records.

Now, seven students from the school have been selected for China's national jump-rope team, which is preparing for the world championships in Canada in July next year. They will compete in the 12-14 age group.

"Jump rope has opened new windows of opportunity for my students, who otherwise could not travel outside the city, let alone the country," said Shi Jie, 35, a math teacher-turned-head coach of the school jump-rope team. He is also a coach for the national team.

"Their special sports talent can give them more than medals," he said. "It can give them an edge in their competition for college admission."

The school launched the jump-rope program in 2016 to enhance the students' physical fitness and cultivate sportsmanship.

So far, more than 2,000 students have participated in the program, with the cream of the crop selected for an advanced team to receive professional training.

They usually take part in four or five national matches and one international competition each year.

Team members get two hours of training every day and four hours before a major contest. Most of kids can jump more than six times per second.

"They jump thousands of times a day," Shi said. "Rope jumping is very tedious, and perseverance is the most important thing for success."