China's Biggest Mountain Biking Race
Tuesday, 13th May 2008 ~ Maggie ~ Link ~ Comments (0)
Chinese rider Li Fuyu (李富玉) came in first place in the 50-kilometer race at the Huangshan MTB Festival, China's biggest mountain biking event, over the weekend. The female winer was Zheng Lufang. Since Li is a professional, he ceded his 12,000 yuan prize to Piers Touzel from Australia, who came in 46 seconds behind him.The race, sponsored by TREK Cycling, included about 460 riders and a few hundred spectators, according to Sara Andersson, who works with Nordic Ways, the Beijing-based company that organized the event. In addition to TREK, Nordic Ways sponsors include Adidas, Volvo and Pearl Izumi.
If your China life keeps you cooped up inside an office in Beijing or Shanghai, and most of the bikes you see are cheap and beat-up old messengers, then you might be surprised to hear that China has a growing mountain biking scene. The Huangshan MTB festival is in its third year. The inaugural race in 2006 attracted about 300 riders. Among this year's entrants, 160 were foreigners and the rest were Chinese.
"I think that with the Olympics coming, people are more interested in sports, and also there's more international influence in China right now," Andersson said. "People are more interested in fitness and healthy lifestyles."
Nordic Ways also puts on road biking races and ski competitions. Download their calendar here.
Tags: Li Fuyu, mountain biking, nordic ways, TREK
Guo Jingjing Pregnant, Leaving the National Team?
Tuesday, 13th May 2008 ~ Maggie ~ Link ~ Comments (2)
UPDATE: There seems to be no truth in the rumor below. As of late May, Guo is competing with the diving team.
"During recent routine physical examinations of China's national swimming and diving team, Guo Jingjing was discovered to be pregnant. After consecutive nights of emergency meetings by relevant officials it was decided that the individual is most important and the athlete's personal choice would be respected; it was agreed that Guo Jingjing would leave the team.
"A reporter that ran into Hong Kong Olympic Committee Chairman Huo Zhenting asked about matters relating to Guo Jingjing's pregnancy. Huo laughed without answering him, finally saying one sentence: 'We respect the decisions of children. '" [That is not a mis-translation or a typo, but likely a jab at Guo, who has been criticized by officials and the media for enjoying her fame too much and being short with the press.]
Guo is the highest paid female athlete in China and the most recognizable female face of Team China in any sport. She has endorsements with McDonald's and Coca-Cola, to name just a couple. Ask a Chinese person on the street who their favorite Chinese athletes are, and you will hear her name.
Guo Jingjing and Kenneth Fok (霍启刚)
In addition to her diving performance, her love life has been closely followed by fans. During the 2004 Olympics in Athens, she was dating Tian Liang, who won a bronze that year. She has most recently been connected with Kenneth Fok (Huo Qigang, or 霍启刚), grandson of a Hong Kong tycoon. And she has been criticized by media for not being dedicated enough to the team, and for not being accommodating to the media.
Update, noon on 5.14: More Chinese sites continue to report on the pregnancy rumor, some suggesting that it's just a publicity stunt. The entertainment page of Mop.com is all over the story, with lots of photos and the headline: "The empress of diving is pregnant? When will Guo Jingjing marry into the wealthy and influential clan?" Finally, a CCTV segment from yesterday features a team spokesperson denying the rumor. There are still no reports in English, and no confirmation from the state-run media.
Images: tupianz.com, yhnews.com
Tags: diving, guo jingjing, Olympics