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It was in the year 1952 when Republic of China’s flag was hoisted for the first time in Olympic history at Helsinki. They participated in only one event and couldn’t manage to win any medal. However, they didn’t participate again till 1984 because of the dispute over the political status of China.
Lets take a look at the medal tally of China in the Olympics in the last 5 Olympiads.
1992 Barcelona: China won 16 gold, 22 silver and 16 bronze and with a total of 54 medals they finished fourth in the table.
1996 Atlanta: China won 16 gold, 22 silver and 12 bronze and with a total of 50 medals they were fourth again in the table.
2000 Sydney: China won 28 gold, 16 silver and 14 bronze and with a total of 58 medals they were third this time.
2004 Athens: China won 32 gold, 17 silver and 14 bronze and with a total of 63 medals they came second in the table.
2008 Beijing: China won 51 gold, 21 silver and 28 bronze and with a total of 100 medals they were at first position in the table.
In the last eight summer Olympics they have managed a total of 385 medals that includes 163 gold, 117 silver and 105 bronze, and they are ranked 7th in the all-time Olympic games medal table. The 2012 Olympics in London began on 27th July and China is once again dominating the medal table.
But what’s the truth behind their performance? Chinese officials scout and train their athletes from a very tender age. The athletes are tested to see if their bodies can withstand the demands of the sport. The majority of them don’t make it, but for those who are selected, their training is a life-long process of trying becoming the best. At the age of 4 years they have to juggle between a training schedule and a tough school routine and are allowed to meet their parents only during the weekends.
This age is a lot younger than what most athletes from other countries start training and their training programmes are not as harsh when compared to China. However, not everyone from these sports training academies makes it to the Olympics and wins medals. They often suffer from unemployment and poverty. They are left with nothing to do because they lack talent. The excessive training also results in stress in their later stages of life. Doesn’t this treatment of children constitute as cruelty and/or child abuse?
The most important lesson of the Olympic Games is not to win but to participate, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle.
