Olympian CPPCC members honing different skill set

Chinese Olympians have always been conditioned to shine under the spotlight - a quality they learn and hone during years of fierce competition in their athletic prime. But when it comes to something as profound as advising on the country's proper path of development, many of them remain rookies.

While only constituting a small group among the more than 2,000 members of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference now meeting in Beijing, the current and retired athletes readily stand out from the crowd due to their star status and physical achievements.

Every year, before the opening meeting, the Great Hall of the People is packed with reporters raising cameras, voice recorders and other multimedia gadgets as they crane their necks in the hope of catching a glimpse of athlete advisers, such as basketball legend Yao Ming.