Gold medals only yardstick?

Without a gold in their pocket, some provincial sports bureau chiefs face humiliation among their peers despite the grand victory of the Chinese team at the Olympics, says an article in Beijing News. The following is an excerpt:

After the closing of the Olympic Games, a sports bureau chief in Henan province said on Wednesday that he should be responsible for the failure of athletes from his province not winning a gold medal. In contrast, his counterpart in Jiangsu province said on the same day that the provincial government would hold a ceremony to award their Olympic champions.

The number of Olympic gold medals has determined the fate and mood of these officials - provincial sports bureau chiefs.