Word: liu
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...novice Olympians are winning big in Athens. Nineteen-year-old marksman Zhu Qinan, who had participated in only two international competitions before last week, set a new world record during his successful gold-medal quest in the men's 10-m air-rifle competition, while 21-year-old Liu Chunhong broke three world records in the women's 69-kg category in weight lifting. Four years after China sent its first-ever female field-hockey team to the Olympics, the Chinese became the first squad in Athens to win a semifinal berth. As of Saturday, the 3-0 Chinese team...
...person believes to be a physical impediment might, of course, be more of a psychological barrier. After all, the Chinese are perennial Olympic favorites in weight lifting, a sport that clearly depends on energy and power. And yet the notion that Asians can't sprint remains widespread?and both Liu and Suetsugu are determined to show that toughness of spirit can bridge the gap. "My physique is poor," says Liu. "But through extra-hard training, I can make up for my deficiencies." Liu credits his rise to an intensive muscle-training program designed by his coach specifically for Asian bodies...
...Liu's modest, easygoing manner belies his single-minded dedication to vaulting at top speed over 10 barriers, each more than a meter high. His parents wanted him to study computer engineering or some other profession befitting his middle-class Shanghai upbringing, but Liu was intent on athletics. He entered a local sports school as a high jumper and then switched to hurdles, although some coaches thought a Chinese athlete shouldn't even bother. But Liu, who hurdled for joy rather than obligation, was hooked. "I liked the fact that so much of hurdles is about technique and that...
...China, Liu's ascendancy?along with that of another Chinese hurdler, Shi Dongpeng, who placed fifth at the Zagreb meet?could finally help correct the nation's lackluster track record. In Sydney, China won just one track medal, and that came in the less glamorous sport of racewalking. Japan has a proud history in the marathon, but the klieg lights are far brighter in the sprinting events, and success in Athens would further electrify a nation already riding high on the exploits of exported baseballers, such as Hideki Matsui and Ichiro Suzuki, who have proved that in addition to precise...
...which just making the final will be a long shot. His goal: to join the tiny ?lite who can run the 100 in less than 10 seconds. "I don't get as excited about the 200," he shrugs. "I'm after something more valuable than a medal." Like Suetsugu, Liu Xiang is chasing a distinctly personal dream. "I enjoy hurdling very much," he says, waving away suggestions that his success will motivate the Chinese sports system to scour the nation for a new generation of hurdlers. "People should only do a sport if they like it." Liu and Suetsugu...