Since the opening of the London Olympic Games last week, a small number of Western media have indulged in making up stories about China that range from labeling Chinese athletes “medal machines” to doping claims based on no evidence.
By doing so, the Western writers have demonstrated an arrogance and prejudice against Chinese athletes that has ignited widespread criticism from all around the world.
The Olympic Games are a huge gala for sports competition and to compete for medals is in line with the Olympic spirit. It is known to all that China topped the gold medal standings four years ago at the 2008 Beijing Olympics but the Chinese are fully aware that China still lags behind the American powerhouse in the world. Therefore, the Chinese delegation did not set for itself the goal of topping the gold medal standings at the London Olympics.
The Austrian newspaper Der Standard noted recently that China, which boasts a population of 1.3 billion people, has an advantage in selecting potential sports talent compared to a country with a population of 311 million (referring to the United States). However, a simple fact has been deliberately neglected. Repeatedly accusing Chinese swimmer Ye Shiwen of doping based on no evidence is a kind of hysteria fanned by some Western media.
Although the world swimming governing body FINA and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) have reiterated that no drug cheats could escape the IOC’s strict testing regimen, some Western media still turned a blind eye to the test results and continued to show their stubbornness and arrogance. As a matter of fact, that stubborn prejudice stems from being upset with the rise of China.For one thing, Chinese swimmers Sun Yang and Ye Shiwen have become shining stars in events that Western athletes have dominated for decades.
Some of the Western media have not yet adapted to the new reality, so they are exerting every effort to blacken the performances of Chinese athletes. Apart from sports, the West has always shown a similar dark psychology and mentality toward the rise of China.
As long as China made progress in science and technology, economic and social development, the Western world was busy making up stories of “cheating” or “violating international rules.”
The core of that mentality is that many in the West are unwilling to recognize the reality that China has become the second biggest economy in the world. At the London Olympics, it is irresponsible for the Western media to pour filth on Chinese athletes who won because of hard training and years of arduous preparation. All in all, arrogance and prejudice is against the Olympic spirit. It is time to tear off arrogance and prejudice, now and forever.
(Editor’s Note. This piece ran in a European blog that follows international sports issues and has had a particular focus on the Summer Olympics. The author is a Chinese journalist; the viewpoint expressed is hers alone. It is important for people in the United States and Europe to at least be aware of what is a typical Chinese response to recent suspicions of doping involving the great Chinese female swimmer of these Olympics).
Sport Intern is published by Karl-Heinz Huba, Postfach 1364, 64649 Lorsch, Germany This article is reprinted here with permission of Mr. Huba. He can be reached at ISMG@aol.com.
Great that someone has looked at it without the media. I am actually a Sports Physiotherapist, who works for the China’s Olympic Committee, in Beijing. As such i view their method as a westerner. Its great someone wrote the other side of the story.
I looked at a lot of that media during London Olympic’s last year as funny; the photo’s of kid’s they used did not come from the national Olympic programs. The photographers walked into some completely random gym ( a private academy as well), and took photos of completely random kids. The fact the articles all had photos of the kids waiting for thier parents further evidence it wasn’t an Olympic program. The Olympic programs are actually different, they are full-time live in with housing and accomodation, given good salaries and all living (eg.food, clothes ect..). Which when you think a lot of China’s Olympic stars have come from poor provinces, where they would of ended up in a factory line ffor a few dollars a day, or working the fields in hard labour, this is really a great opportunity for them out of their poverty or social status in society. Once they make it, they are really well supported, win an Olympic medal and gain huge exposure, stardom, money well beyond Western athletes, even becoming millionaires. And the fact i am a physiotherapist, a foreigner (and one of many) that they hired to look after the health of their athletes, makes you understand their health is looked after.
In comparions in Australia our athletes given very little, need to often also have daytime job to support themselves, whilst training hard in morning and nights before and after work. Many have ended up bankrupt from loans. In USA many of their Olympic athletes are currently fundraising to make money to just support their tickets and training for Sochi. So how to say western athletes don’t also have it tough?
I have worked around the world, and to gain Olympic success takes the same amount of training anywhere. Its simple maths, train hard, train smarter, have better support, and you are the one who will win. They don’t train harder, as Olympic chamipns train the same anywhere, especially more so when you think of the fact foreign coaches usually coach around the world. As swimming example its Australian swimming coaches that coach the Chinese swimmers.
I am Australia, westerner, studied & grew up in Australia, was a junior national level athlete in Australia. As such my views from an Australian’s perspective, and not China biased. Although i work for the Chinese now, so my views are maybe slightly affected.