Weeds cover a deserted theme park north of Beijing
By Ian Ransom and Ryan McNeill
LONDON | Tue Aug 14, 2012
2:09am IST
LONDON (Reuters) - China's massive medal
haul at the London Games has once again showcased the country's ability to
produce champions through its rigid Soviet-style sports regime, but national
pride has been tempered by concerns about the human costs of sporting
glory.
Chinese bloggers expressed their disgust last week after a Shanghai newspaper
reported that the parents of Olympic diver Wu Minxia had concealed her mother's
long battle with breast cancer for fear of disturbing her training.
Wu, 26, who was also shielded from news of her grandparents' deaths, shrugged
off the controversy to win both the sychronised and individual three-metre
springboard events in London.
"It's not only Chinese athletes who are like this. Parents seldom come to our
training base and we are just like a big family who all train together," Wu said
after winning the individual title on Sunday.
"There may be distance from our families but the distance doesn't make us
feel we are far apart. I chose to be a diver to pursue this goal."
Read more at REUTERS
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