Online and upward for irrepressible national teams

In these uncertain and challenging times, Team China's national squads are finding creative ways to stay in peak condition. And while athletes' health remains the top priority, the message is that neither the COVID-19 pandemic nor the Tokyo Olympics postponement are excuses to become complacent.

Most of China's national teams have kept isolated from the public for months to avoid the risk of being infected, while almost all international and domestic events have been suspended. In the absence of an intensive competitive environment, staying in top shape is, therefore, far from easy for the nation's elite athletes.

One solution to get them back performing in front of live audiences has been to stage test events that are broadcast online.

China's shooting team staged a live-broadcast competition last Wednesday and Thursday. The national squad competed against four provincial teams－Beijing, Shandong, Henan and Shaanxi－who all participated under isolated conditions in their home provinces.

A live-sports broadcast and content production team from Beijing Sports University provided the technical help to make the event possible.

Thanks to the BSU experts, the scores from the five locations were simultaneously aggregated into one match system while shooters could see their rivals perform live.

It's the second time that the national shooting team has staged such an event. Improving on the first one that was held in early March, a new system to monitor shooters' real-time physical conditions, including their heart rates, was included. The system was also visible to viewers online. That added a lot more fun for the live-broadcast audience, while it also upped the pressure for the athletes.

According to Xinhua, the two-day event was broadcast live on multiple platforms and the total viewership exceeded three million.

Jin Yongde, the team leader of the national pistol shooting squad, told Xinhua that two Olympic champions participated in the event, which he rated as "world-class".

"Athletes can rebuild their confidence through events like these. And that can only make us more resolute and motivated during our preparation for the Olympics," said Jin.

Last month, the Tokyo 2020 Olympics was postponed until next summer due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The delay leaves athletes needing to recalibrate their plans, with Jin and other team leaders urging Olympic hopefuls to remain competitive and motivated during this transitional period.

"The team is still adjusting and the athletes are tired because of this period of training," said Wang Lian, the team leader of the national rifle shooting squad.

"This test event was a challenge for our athletes to see if they could adjust themselves to competition mode. Meanwhile, the form of the competition was also very new. The results turned out to be good."

The national weightlifting squad also hosted a test competition that was broadcast live online in late March.

For the past two months, the team has been training behind closed doors at its base in Beijing. To measure the success of the training, the team organized a competition for its elite athletes－11 women and eight men.

They were joined by 2016 Rio Olympics gold medalist Shi Zhiyong and 2012 London Olympic champion Lyu Xiaojun.

The referees were comprised of former national team coaches, while the squad's fitness coaches also staffed the event.

Despite the lack of on-site spectators to cheer them on, simply performing in a Team China suit with a giant national flag hoisted high in the background in front of live cameras proved enough to get the athletes' adrenaline pumping.

And while the results weren't quite up to everyone's lofty standards, the event was hailed as a highly effective evaluation.

"Personally, I think the result of the test competition could have been better," said Zhang Guozheng, the team leader of the women's national weightlifting squad. "About three to four weeks before we had a similar competition. Back then, the athletes had an even better performance.

"Generally speaking, we achieved our goal of training our team. But more importantly, we found problems, especially in terms of their physical strength. We will maintain our training and bring the athletes up the next level."

As for the postponed Olympics, Zhang acknowledges that challenges lie ahead but is endeavoring to look on the bright side.

"Age and injuries are problems for some of our athletes," said Zhang. "Take Deng Wei, for example. Now she has one more year to recover from her injury, but that also mean she'll be one year older.

"It also means opportunities. Like I said many times, we still have many problems to be solved. The extra year is just enough time for us to deal with the problems."