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BEIJING: The massive earthquake that caused untold
suffering and triggered national mourning has failed to shake the
iron resolve of China’s athletes as they prepare for the Beijing
Olympics.
Most of China’s nearly 600
athletes who will compete in the Beijing Games were in training
camps well away from the affected areas in southwestern Sichuan
province when the quake struck and none were injured by the
disaster, according to official reports.
It was reported that around 20
were in Sichuan but all are safe and unhurt. Some athletes lost
homes and loved ones, Sichuan sports director Zhu Ling was quoted as
saying, but it was unclear if any of them were Olympic team members.
For those athletes training for
the Games, the disaster has not been allowed to interfere with
Olympic preparations. If anything, their focus on the Beijing
Olympics seems to have been reinforced.
Liu Xiang, the 110m world
record-holder and reigning Olympic champion, caught the mood in
comments two days after the disaster when he said athletes were
determined to train even harder.
“We will redouble our efforts
and try to use our achievements on the field to encourage the people
of the disaster areas to rebuild their lives,” Liu was quoted as
saying.
China’s government ordered
three days of mourning from Monday to allow the public to pay their
respects to disaster victims. The nation’s athletes have taken
time out for fund-raising and observed three minutes’ silence on
Monday, one week after the disaster.
But they have scarcely missed a
beat in training and preparing for the Games.
When China comes out of the
three-day mourning period on Thursday, Beijing will host the
four-day China Open athletics championships, the first major sports
event since the disaster.
Around 900 Chinese athletes,
including Liu, will compete in a full- dress rehearsal for the
Olympic track and field event.
China’s Olympic sports
facilities were undamaged by the quake, including the new National
Stadium, known as the Bird’s Nest because of its structure of
interwoven steel beams, where the China Open will take place.
It is the last of 42 test events
which have taken place over the past 10 months to allow Olympic
planners to perfect their preparations for the Games.
--AFP
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