Morelon seeks French connection

Daniel Morelon and Christian Bauer have much in common. They are both French, they are former world champions in their respective disciplines, they have coached Olympic champions and are now mentors of Chinese national teams.

However, the neighbors and countrymen have followed drastically different paths since last year's Beijing Games.

While Bauer became a household name in China after helping Zhong Man win the country's first men's Olympic fencing gold in individual saber, Morelon remains unknown throughout most of the land. Guo Shuang claimed a bronze in the women's sprint, a fine achievement, but apparently not good enough to meet fans' expectations.