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Article: 8-year-old marathoner runs and runs ... and runs.
- Article from:
- Chicago Tribune (Chicago, IL)
- Article date:
- April 11, 2007
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2007 Chicago Tribune. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: Evan Osnos
Apr. 11--LINGAO, China -- The clock above her bed read 2:24 a.m. -- time for the 8-year-old to train for another marathon. Second grader Zhang Huimin, who weighs 42 pounds and likes the Little Mermaid, sat up and gave a groggy glance around the one-room home she shares with her father, an out-of-work fish farmer with a singular goal: grooming his daughter for the 2016 Olympics. "Don't dawdle," her father said softly, "or you won't be out the door by 2:55." Next year, Beijing will host the 2008 Olympics, casting an unprecedented spotlight on China's athletes and the nation that shapes them. Huimin is too young for the Beijing Games, ...