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the price
of gold
by timothy motram
hina amassed a huge tally of medals in London
2012, cementing its place as the ‘other’ dominant
force in world sport. This is the result that China’s
ruling party wanted, a statement of such force that
the world has to take Chinese sport seriously.
But for all the acclaim, despite the very real brilliance of the
Chinese athletes, many are questioning the human cost of their
success. Observers cite families being pulled about, systematic
abuse, athletes receiving no support after retirement. . .this is
the dark side of the glittering medals. It seems that China is
producing elite athletes in a cold, hard production line.
One story that broke during the Olympics was that of Wu Minxia.
She was kept in the dark about her grandparents’ deaths and
did not learn about her mother’s breast cancer until eight years
after she contracted the disease. When asked why they hid the
deaths of her grandparents from Wu for years, her mother said,
“We never talk about family matters with our daughter.”
The theory is that they do not want to disturb her training.
Insiders claim that such cases are common. Training Chinese
style involves minimal contact with the outside world, as
athletes need to focus exclusively on their training.
This regime starts with children as young as six being placed
in camps for training. Most parents readily agree to the virtual
loss of a child to the system, such is their hope to be the parent
of an Olympic winner. Wu’s father made the admission that
“we’ve known for years that our daughter doesn’t belong to us
anymore.”
C
16 • Touchline • Issue 14
© Joel Solomon