The weight of gold (2)

Difficulties elsewhere also

While the Chinese athletics training system is criticized by the public, the system in Western countries is regarded as more "scientific" as the athletes' weekly training time is strictly limited, the China Youth Daily reported.

For example, Michael Phelps, a Beijing Olympic Games gold medalist swimmer from the United States, only spends two hours training every day. Natalie Coughlin, also a swimming champion, only spends two hours in training every morning and another three in the afternoon, according to southcn.com.

However, according to Guo Ruilong, although the athletes in Western countries might spend less time in training than Chinese athletes do, their training can be more intense.

Wang Dazhao, a sports commentator with People's Daily, agreed. "The athletes in European countries can not have a rest during Christmas as they must attend holiday competitions.

Some athletes even compete in a contest on Christmas eve," he told the Global Times.

The right direction

Seniors in China still remember how the entire nation cheered with tears of joy during the 1980s when their national volleyball team won the first world championship, which was followed by a string of victories.

"At a time when China was so poor and it had almost nothing else to compete in with the world powers, too much hope and honor was attached to Olympic gold medals or world championships," said Wang.

The situation has been changing as China strengthens in various areas on the international stage - After all, the country garnered the biggest number of gold medals in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Zhang Shangwu, a gymnastics world champion at the 2001 Universiade, triggered heated public debate over faults in the country's sports system after he was found begging on the streets of Beijing.

People began to wonder what else the State-sponsored gold-medal machine could help an athlete gain, besides physical strength.

This latest tragedy involving the weight-lifting coach has only stirred up a new round of questioning over how much personal sacrifice needs to be made for national honor.

"Should this inhuman training system end now?" the China Youth Daily asked in a recent report. "Athletes and coaches are only human, not winning machines."

Wang Dazhao believes that having these questions asked will help China optimize its sports system.

"This introspection on the present training system will help us establish a more scientific, and healthy system," said Wang.

Xu Jicheng, a senior sports commentator, said China's sports system is actually gradually headed in the right direction.

"China has learned lessons from Western countries, and some world champions, such as tennis champion Li Na and hurdle star Liu Xiang, use their own methods of training rather than being limited by traditional ones," Xu told the Global Times.