China: Glory For The Nation
Part One: Boarding Schools Generate China's Sport Stars()
July 21, 2008 Projecting athletic prowess has been a top priority for the Chinese government over the years. And it is some of the country's littlest citizens who must carry this responsibility. From the age of 4, select Chinese children are molded into the nation's elite athletes.
Part Two: Chinese Athletes Find No Glory In Retirement()
July 22, 2008 With little education, and training regimes that impose lifelong damage on their bodies, athletes from China's national sports system frequently find disability, poverty and unemployment in retirement.
Part Three: China Looks To Row Away With Gold()
July 23, 2008 To win the race for gold at this summer's Olympics, China has been looking to sports where the medals are plentiful. Many of these sports, like rowing, are not China's traditional strong suits.
Part Four: Sporting Fame Comes With Limits In China()
July 24, 2008 With sporting fame comes corporate sponsorship, television appearances, and fat paychecks. But in China, athletes are expected to let the government manage their image and to hand over a substantial cut of their earnings.
Part Five: China Trains Cheerleaders To Rally Masses()
July 25, 2008 The Chinese government is training 300,000 cheerleaders in the hopes that their peppy slogans will drown out any embarrassing lapses in sportsmanship at the Beijing Olympics. Still, such conformist cheerleading invites comparison to China's mass campaigns of the past.
