China
China's swimming future has a 'golden' tint
By Lei Lei (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-01-08 09:08
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Led by men's world champion Zhang Lin and women's world record holder Liu Zige, a new "golden generation" of Chinese swimmers stirred the pool in 2009.
Throughout the year Chinese swimmers claimed 10 gold medals at world events, including four at the World Championships in Rome in August, and set four world records.
The country achieved its second-best result at the Worlds with four gold medals, two silvers and four bronze.
Zhang made history by claiming gold in the 800m freestyle. His teammate, Sun Yang, 18, also proved to be a star in men's long-distance swimming when he clinched bronze in the 1,500m freestyle.
On the women's side, Zhao Jing won the 50m backstroke crown while the women's 4x200m freestyle and medley relay teams also mined gold.
All of China's gold medals in Rome were won in world-record times.
Beijing Olympic women's 200m butterfly champion, Liu, had to settle for silver in her favorite event, beaten by Australian Jessica Schipper. But it took the 21-year-old only two months to reclaim the world record.
Her 100m butterfly clocking of 56.07 in Jinan was 0.01 shy of the world record set by Sarah Sjostrom of Sweden in Rome.
Liu continued her record-breaking streak as she lowered the short-course 200m butterfly mark twice - at the Stockholm and Berlin World Cup meetings later in the year.
"My dream is to retain my Olympic title in London," Liu said.
Backstroker Zhao continued her good form in short-course racing as well and erased some of the nightmare that has been haunting her since the Beijing Olympics where she was disqualified for an illegal under-water start. She set world records in the women's 50m back and 100m individual medley in Stockholm.
Liu and Zhang's victories were partly owed to their training abroad and that has enlightened China's swimming authorities to seek more international co-operation.
Zhang worked with Australian great Grant Hackett's mentor, Dennis Cotterell, from 2007-2009, while Liu also trained in Australia in 2003, 2007 and 2009 with Ken Wood and Cotterell.
"I've learned a lot from Dennis and improved a lot in recent years," said Zhang. "The most important thing is that I've become more confident after training with foreign swimmers."
By the end of last year, Michael Bohl, coach of Australia's double Olympic medley champion, Stephanie Rice, was among four Australian coaches signed to help Chinese swimming.
The other coaches are Wood, Cotterell and Otto Sonnleitner, a former chairman of the Australian Swimming Coaches and Teachers Association, who was appointed head coach at the Chinese reserve team's training camp.
Zhang will continue his training abroad in the US and Liu may head to Europe. Besides them, more Chinese swimmers are planning to train in Australia, the US and Europe this year.
"Through these four Australian coaches, we have opened the door to Chinese swimming and have started to communicate with a swimming powerhouse," said Yao Zhengjie, head coach of the Chinese swimming team.
"After a fruitful 2009, we are confident of performing well in London," Yao said.
Xinhua contributed to this story
