Word: fu
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...around the 'team' concept become the Tom Cruise vanity show anyway? By the time Woo is finally allowed to unleash his bag-of-tricks near the end, he does admittedly pull off some spectacular sequences, most notably a high-octane motorcycle chase and a deliriously over-the-top kung-fu battle. But by the time we get to this sizzle, we've already had to endure far too much fizzle...
This time Fu is diving not for her country, not for her coach, not for her fans, but for herself. The nine-hour practices have been replaced by a more manageable five hours. "Practicing just for the sake of practicing is pointless," Fu says, snapping her gum. She enlivens drills by blasting pop music, thumping techno beats that she hopes will propel her past...
...Fu rebels in a thousand small ways, showing up at interviews without the usual grim-faced handler and shrugging off a 9:30 p.m. curfew in favor of a refill of iced coffee. The boyish bowl cut has been replaced by long, highlighted locks and a Sporty Spice wardrobe of tight T shirts, baggy clamdiggers and unlaced Nikes...
Despite her past successes, Fu's state salary is meager--$120 a month--although she has signed an endorsement deal with Nike. If Fu wins gold at Sydney, she could net an estimated $60,000 in rewards. But Fu insists that money isn't what's motivating her. "When I won in Barcelona and Atlanta, I was a child and it was too easy," she says. "But if I win at Sydney, it will be a medal I have earned all by myself...
...Then Fu pauses, runs her hand through her streaked hair and grins. "Besides, if people are going to remember me, I don't want it to be with that silly old hairstyle." When a grownup Fu Mingxia takes to the board in Sydney, she'll be ready to show everyone who she is: mettle, grace and a stylish...