China Report - Top Swimmers Struggle; Lifting Dilemma; Olympic Table Tennis Teams

Swimming World Champions Struggle

Zhang Lin's summer plans are unclear after the 800-meter freestyle world record holder's poor performance at last week's Olympic trials.

Zhang finished fourth in the 400m, 15th in the 200m and 6th in the 1500m freestyle at the weeklong event in Shaoxing.

"I am really tired and the results here are so disappointing," said the 400m freestyle silver medalist from Beijing.

"I don’t know what’s wrong with my performance. It was supposed to be much better. I’ve regained my rhythm and done tests well in training.

Some of China’s other top swimmers also underperformed in Shaoxing.

Reigning world champion Zhao Jing finished fifth in the women’s 100m backstroke – her signature event – and failed to reach the 200m final, blaming the results on inflammation of her tonsils.

Liu Zige, the only Chinese swimmer to win Olympic gold on home soil four years ago, placed third in both the 100m and 200m butterfly.

National Olympic Committees can only enter up to two qualified swimmers in each individual event if both meet the A standard, according to FINA.

However, the vice president of China’s swimming federation did not rule out the possibility of these top swimmers competing in London.

"We are not as strong as other swimming nations like the USA and Australia, so we will not decide the whole team based on the trials only," Shang Xiutang told Xinhua.

"We need to take all factors into consideration, including their performance at international events like last year's world championships."

Not all of China’s top swimmers struggled at the meet.

Sun Yang, men’s 1500m freestyle world champion in Shanghai and current world record holder, claimed four individual events ranging from the 200m to 1500m.

"I don't really care about the result right now. I am very well-prepared and I am very confident to have a good result in London," Sun said, adding that he expected to win one or two gold medals at the Games.

"I am very confident in 1500m free and I am also very competitive in 400m."

Chinese swimmers won only a single gold in both Athens and Beijing but collected five at last year’s world champs. The head coach of the team, Yao Zhengjie, says his goal for London is three or four golds.

Women’s Weightlifting Dilemma

China’s top weightlifting official is reserved about his expectations for London despite strong performances at the domestic Olympic trials.

The women’s team selection took place last week in Qingdao with four weightlifters surpassing four world records and another two tying records.

Reigning 48kg world champion Tian Yuan jerked 126kg to finish with a total of 221kg, besting both the world records in jerk by 5kg and the total by 4kg.

"I become more confident now," said Tian, "which will help me to get ready for London."

Ji Jing, the 53kg bronze medalist from last year’s world champs, snatched 104kg, one kg more than the old world record.

And reigning 58kg world runner-up Li Xueying won with a total of 250kg, bettering the result of last year's world champion by 13kg.

However, the president of the Chinese Weightlifting Association president tells Tencent and Around the Rings it’s hard to predict any results for London.

"I'm very happy to see these good results, but it's too early to say we are fully confident to claim gold medals in these categories," said Ma Wenguang.

"We do have some advantages in the light categories such as 48kg and 58kg, but we still are facing very strong opponents from Turkey and Belarus."

Ma admitted that it’s quite the challenge to choose which four weight classes out of the seven in which to enter lifters. Each country is allowed to send four women’s weightlifters to the Games, according to the International Weightlifting Federation.

"We need to choose two categories from 53kg, 69kg and +75kg which we are close to world-class level in," Ma told ATR.

"Meanwhile, world champion Li Ping (53kg) and Olympic champion Liu Chunhong (69 kg) missed out on the trials due to injury.

According to Ma, the results in Qingdao will be a key factor in the final decision.

"We must send the best crew to London," he said.

Chinese lifters have won 11 out of the 12 events they’ve participated in since women’s weightlifting was added to the Olympics in 2000. However, they only won two weight classes at last year's worlds in Paris.

Table Tennis Rounds Out Olympic Teams

The Chinese Table Tennis Association confirms men's world No.1 Ma Long and women’s Olympic gold medalist Guo Yue as the third members of China’s squads for London 2012.

"Ma Long deserved to be part of the Olympic team," men’s head coach Liu Guoliang tells ATR.

"Ma won lots of titles since last year. He has improved his ability to control the match and his techniques. He didn't even lose a single set at the world championships last month."

Ma says he is very pleased to win the spot over teammate Ma Lin, thereigning Olympic singles champ.

"It is not easy to make the team, and I think [I made it] because I have won the trust from the coach," he tells ATR.

"I am much more mature than I was two years ago, and I hope I can help the team to win the Olympic Games in London."

The fight for the third place on the women’s Olympic team was also very tense with Guo Yue winning the seat.

"Guo has more advantages than other competitors since she has taken part in two Olympic Games. No one else on the team has her advantages," women’s team coach Shi Zhi Hao said.

"She is also very good at playing doubles, so she is more suitable to play at the team event."

Guo has experienced some ups and downs in the last two years, but she adjusted herself well and won all her matches at last month’s world champs.

"Now I am not even thinking of how many Olympic Games I participated in. I just want to cherish this opportunity," Guo told ATR after being confirmed for her third Olympics.

"I will not try to count matches as a pain but try to enjoy every moment of it. It is really a new beginning for me, and our ultimate goal is to win Olympic gold."

A table tennis giant, China has won 20 of the 24 gold medals on offer since the sport was added to the Olympic program in 1988.

Chinese paddlers also dominated the 2012 World Team Table Tennis Championships in Dortmund, Germany last month with a clean sweep.

The International Table Tennis Federation required each member country to submit two players for participation in London last June. Those two players, who are subject to change until this month, would be playing in both singles and team events.The third player is only allowed to participate in the team event and is irreplaceable.

Written and Reported in Beijing by Tencent's Norman Li

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