OlymPicks: Netizens Mourn 'Olympic Madman' as French Sports Minister Stops By Beijing
Though Chen Guanming had planned on the Beijing 2022 Winter Games to be the end of his 170,000-kilometer, 16-year journey, the tireless cyclist nicknamed the “Olympic Madman” will sadly never achieve that dream. Chen instead died in a traffic accident in Argentina recently, while pedaling his rickshaw in a years-long, globe-spanning journey to promote the Games and his country’s passion for sports.
Local news outlets confirmed the 61-year-old’s death in Santa Cruz. Despite this heart-wrenching end to Chen’s journey, the article noted that his tenacious spirit will live on as an inspiration for many Chinese onlookers. It said, “Following the news of his death, thousands of netizens paid tribute to Chen, calling him a true sportsman who understood the spirit of the Olympics. Chen’s act of sportsmanship would be remembered, commentators said. Although his life had been a bumpy ride, he would be remembered as a hero, people said.”
Chen’s drive to keep on pedaling was surely not only inspired by Beijing’s breakout 2008 Summer Olympic Games, but also the forthcoming 2022 rendition that is already reshaping China as a formidable contender in winter sports. The country’s figure skaters have especially been earning buzz of as late, what with the Cup of China slated for Nov 3-5 at the Capital Gymnasium in Beijing. Xinhua calls that competition an “important qualifying match for the Chinese team” and a prime opportunity to showcase its talent ahead of the 2018 PyeongChang Olympic Games. Head coach Zhao Hongbo said in an interview that the Chinese skaters are now focusing on overall performance, rather than difficulty (defined by the US Figuring Skating Association’s glossary as “a measure of the complexity of an element”). He explained: “If the program can be fully presented, the score will be high. Meanwhile, the difficulty is a double-edged sword, as the failure in execution can influence the program completeness." If the strategy proves successful, it will no doubt raise the standard for Chinese skaters ahead of PyeongChang and, ergo, make China’s figures skaters a greater force to be reckoned in Beijing in 2022.
That sort of strengthened strategy on the part of the athletes and coaches, not to mention the huge investments in infrastructure and Beijing’s hosting of the 2022 Winter Games, have all prompted France to court the Middle Kingdom for greater sports partnership. French sports minister (and former Olympic fencing champion) Laura Flessel spoke to reporters at her nation’s embassy in Beijing late last week. The proximity of France’s hosting of the 2024 Summer Olympics to Beijing’s 2022 Winter Games makes greater collaboration all but a given, with Flessel saying during the press conference that “In order to have better performances in 2022 and 2024, we are discussing with Chinese counterparts in which sports the two countries are going to cooperate.” She added: “I would invite Chinese athletes in various sports to go to France and also encourage French athletes to come to China," she said. "I believe that will be a win-win collaboration." Her press conference at the French embassy in Beijing was followed by a trip to Shanghai for a Tour de France criterium, which Xinhua noted as featuring “top riders with an aim to attract a cycling following in China.”
Indeed, whether it’s a planner working on outreach programs with their French counterparts, athletes honing their strategy at competitions leading up to the climactic 2022 Games, or impassioned fans like Chen promoting the China’s stake in the Games abroad, there’s no doubt that the Middle Kingdom’s worldliness is rapidly widening in lieu of its Olympic vying.
Photos: ejinsight, Darkroom, stabroeknews
