More foreign experts in swimming will be invited to give lectures to Chinese coaches, a senior Chinese swimming official said in Beijing on Thursday. "We will offer Chinese coaches more exposure to international expertise as we invite experts from world powerhouses as the United States and Australia," said Zhang Qiuping, assistant director of the Chinese Swimming Association (CSA) after the 10- day training program for Chinese coaches. Over 140 coaches from the Chinese national team, provincial squads and sports schools were happy about the American experts who gave their advice and advanced training theories. John Leonard, director of the American Swimming Coaches Association, said: "It is a good start. Perhaps in the future we can have different programs for the Chinese national team coaches and the provincial coaches." Leonard also suggested Chinese coaches at all levels need much more outside contact. "They need to contact with others. It is a learning curve that can be rapidly accelerate the level of the coaches and swimmers." Kenyon College head coach James Steen and Joel Stager, director of the human performance in Indiana University, both agreed that the prospect of Chinese swimming was promising with the efforts of the fast-learning coaches and physically fit young swimmers. "Chinese swimming is now the world power which has made a good strike in the last 20 years. They have very bright future," said Steen. Though a few Chinese swimmers had involved in drug controversies in recent years, the American experts maintained doping was a global problem in all the sports. "It is unfortunate in China that some athletes are taking drugs like any other country. But I knew the efforts the CSA paid to remove drugs from the sport. And I really admired their determination," Leonard said. (Xinhua) |