Local stars to play it safe on home soil

SHANGHAI: Injury fears will see China's gymnasts wrapped in cotton wool when the team sticks to straightforward routines at the upcoming World Cup meet, a chief coach revealed yesterday.

The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) 2007 World Cup, in Shanghai from Friday to Sunday, will be the last A-level competition prior to this year's World Championships,

But rather than throwing caution to the wind, local athletes will be ordered to hold back.

"We will not present the immature routines during the games," head coach of China National Women's Gymnastic Team Lu Shanzhen said at the periphery of a press conference for the World Cup.

"Our athletes will only present their mature and stable performances and they are quite familiar with their routines."

The Shanghai meet is the first major international tournament since promising Zhejiang Province youngster Wang Yan broke her neck in an horrific fall during a national meet last month.

Coaches have modified the routines of their protgs, according to Lu, in the wake of the 15-year-old's sickening accident.

"We might make constant changes of routines for our athletes, and all are in our command," he asserted.

Instead of bagging a brace of gold medals the coach hopes for his athletes to regain condition and competition confidence, especially the brightest Olympic medal prospects including the popular Pang Panpan, whose injuries have forced her to miss a number of meets in the first half of 2007.

(China Daily 07/26/2007 page22)