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Article: No Fun and Games For Chinese Athletes
- Article from:
- The Washington Post
- Article date:
- August 22, 2008
- Author:
CopyrightThis material is published under license from the Washington Post. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Washington Post. (Hide copyright information)
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Chinese gymnast Cheng Fei had just won a bronze medal for her
performance on the balance beam, less than a week after the Chinese
squad beat out the Americans for gold in team competition. But
speaking with reporters immediately afterward, all she focused on
were the mistakes she had made two days earlier in the floor
exercise.
"When I was a beginner, it was normal for me to make mistakes,"
an exhausted Cheng said Tuesday. "But I persisted for four years
just for these Games, so when I lost on Sunday it was unimaginable
for me. I feel totally empty. . . . I don't have my soul anymore,
and am only left with my body."
Even though China has captured more gold medals than any other
country, it ...