Aged 23, Olympic champion Luo calls it quits
At 23 a swimmer should be entering her prime, but yesterday China's Olympic and World champion Luo Xuejuan began her retirement.
Speaking at a ceremony in her hometown Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, the "Breaststroke Queen" confirmed she had to leave the pool due to poor health.
"Life comes first. It is more important than other things," she said. "Everyone knows that I am a very competitive person, but I have no other choice than to quit the sport.
"I am so grateful for what the national team has brought to me in the past years. Now I am leaving. But as an Olympic champion, I hope I can do something else for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. I also wish the national swimming team the best," she said.
China's Olympic swimming champion Luo Xuejuan displays a certificate given by the China Swimming Administrative Center for her outstanding achievements, during a retirement ceremony held in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, yesterday. Luo, 23, announced her retirement following months of speculation over her health and fitness. Zhan Yu |
Speculation has mounted in the last couple of weeks about Luo's future in the sport, as stories of heart problems and disputes with coaches appeared in the media. Just days ago national team coach Zhang Yadong dismissed the reports of Luo's likely retirement.
But there was confusion at the ceremony when doctors were unwilling to give exact details of Luo's heart problem.
A team doctor, surnamed Han, said only: "For an athlete there is a risk of danger. But for an ordinary person, there is no problem."
Luo fainted twice during the Athens Games, and doctors diagnosed her as having a potassium deficiency. But the problems continued, and after fainting during training last November doctors said she was either suffering from exhaustion or heart trouble.
"She failed to get fit. If she continues training, nobody wants to take the responsibility if there is a danger to her life," said Zhang.
An emotional Zhang, who witnessed Luo's development from a young hopeful into a star, was unable to control his emotions at the ceremony.
"It is so hard for me to say something about her retirement," he said tearfully. "We have been together for over ten years. We didn't want her to leave the pool."
Luo has established herself as the most prominent Chinese swimmer in the world stage, winning one Olympic gold, five world championship titles and numerous Asian and national titles.
To recognize Luo's devotion to the sport, the Swimming Administrative Centre presented her an award for her "Outstanding Contribution to Chinese Swimming".
Gold vacancy
"It is definitely a big loss to the sport in China," said Shang Xiutang, deputy director of the Swimming Administrative Center, at the ceremony. "Luo's absence will also effect our preparations for the Beijing Olympics. We are not willing to accept her retirement but we have to respect her decision."
Fellow athletes were understanding of the swimmer's situation.
"I know how Luo felt when she made such a tough decision. Every athlete wants to end their career in a winning way. But sometimes, it is just out of your control," Li Na, a diver who chose to retire after winning a silver medal at the Sydney Games in 2000, wrote on her blog.
Luo's decision is also a huge blow to the national swimming team's preparations for the 2008 Beijing Games, where they are expected to win at least one gold.
Luo took the sole swimming gold for China at the 2004 Athens Games and was seen as the best contender for 2008.
Teenagers Ji Liping and Wang Qun are two of the hopefuls to replace Luo as the leader in women's breaststroke.
Ji, 19, was crowned 50m breaststroke champion and finished second in the 100m at the Doha Asian Games, which Luo did not attend, while 16-year-old Wang scored an impressive win over Luo in the 2005 East Asian Games.
But their personal bests are still way behind Luo, not to mention her world record-holding rival from Australia, Leisel Jones.
Other potential factors behind Luo's decision
Dim prospects for 2008
Her form slumped after the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, with poor health interupting her training again and again over the past two years.
She finished 5th at the Montreal World Championships in 2005 while her archrival Australian Leisel Jones is showing amazing form. Jones won the 100m and 200m titles in Montreal two years ago and dominated women's breaststroke with a series of world records last year.
Jones's domination have cut Luo's hopes of regaining her crown, but the swimmer has been working hard to regain her form before the 2008 Beijing Games.
Coaching trouble
Her relations with national team manager Zhang Yadong worsened after her Athens triumph.
Zhang, who coached Luo for 12 years, reportedly slapped her during a national team training session last year when the swimmer refused to follow his instructions.
Zhang didn't include Luo on the roster for the Doha Asian Games last December.
Prize dispute
Luo reportedly failed to get her Olympic reward - an apartment in provincial capital Hangzhou - from Zhejiang Sports Administration because the apartments are only available for married Olympic gold medalists.
There have been reports of tension over the issue, with Luo complaining it is unfair to deny her the reward because she is single.
Luo's factbox
Date of birth: January 26, 1984
Place of birth: Zhejiang
Weight: 62 kg
Height: 1.68 m
Coach: Zhang Yadong
High performances:
2000: Olympic Games - 8th 200m breaststroke
2001: World Championships - 1st 50m breaststroke, 1st 100m breaststroke, 3rd 200m breaststroke, 3rd 4x100m medley relay
2003: World Championships - 1st 50m breaststroke, 1st 100m breaststroke, 1st 4x100m medley relay
2004: Olympic Games - 1st 100m breaststroke, 4th 4x100m medley relay
2005: World Championships - 5th 50m breaststroke
(China Daily 01/30/2007 page22)
