Those who never say die live on

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By Li Xing (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-08-21 08:26

Many of us have gone through a lot of ups and downs with the athletes as the Beijing Olympics enters its 14th day. With the Games in town, we simply cannot help it but experiencing the great ecstasy as the stars or the obscure win; or the deep sadness as they lose or fall.

Whether they win or lose, the participants are heroes and heroines of the countries and regions they represent. After all, the Olympic Games is one for the best and the brightest.

Meanwhile, there have been also a lot of talks about winning or losing. The praises for the victorious naturally concentrate on the hard training, the advances in techniques as well as the valuable help that the athletes gain from coaches from as far as France and Australia.

Zhong Man, Chinese gold medalist for men's saber, is especially thankful to his French coach, Christian Bauer, who, he said, gave him great help in improving his fencing skills. Bauer has also led the Chinese women's team to take the saber silver medal, although this has not been celebrated with the same zeal as Zhong Man's gold.

I've also screened through a lot of angry words, especially on the Internet, as netizens try to vent their frustration at the losses. Some blame the spectators for their ignorance of some sports. Such as during the tennis competition, their applause at the wrong time caused some player to make a wrong judgment and thus lose a crucial point. Others say that some athletes have buckled under too much pressure.

But I believe one factor is also crucial: the athletes' perseverance, especially when the two teams, or two parties, are almost on par in terms of their physique, experience, skills and techniques.

I think it is the will to "never say die" that helped Chinese judoka Tong Wen make a big throw in the final few seconds last Friday to defeat Japan's Maki Tsukada, the Athens champion, in the five-minute showdown.

I'd given up on Tong, believing that a silver was good enough. Judo is first of all a national game in Japan. But obviously Tong did not and she won.

I sensed the same determination to stick out till the last moment was stronger in the members of the Cuban and American women's volleyball teams during their matches with the Chinese women's team in the first round. Both teams won in the end even though they'd lost the first two sets.

To be honest, I know the Chinese volleyball girls also fought hard, but in those two games, the Cubans and Americans were simply better. It is encouraging that they learned the lessons and thus won the game with the Russians Tuesday night.

I know I'm being too harsh on the Chinese men's soccer team; they don't have the same caliber and skills as their opponents. But what has made me more frustrated is that I didn't see the resolve to fight a decent battle in the men, as I've seen in the soccer teams from Africa, when they compete in the FIFA World Cup.

I believe all the athletes feel the pressure in major championships like the Olympics. The widely-circulated poem by the star American gymnast Shawn Johnson should be revealing:

You remember the struggles and pain you had

When all the good had turned to bad

When behind the scenes you crumbled and prayed

For it all to simply just go away.

What should the athletes do? Listen to Shawn again:

You fear the loss and pain of defeat

But still are able to stand on two feet

You crumble and cry as much as you want

But nothing can keep you away from the hunt.

This is what you've been working for.

E-mail: lixing@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 08/21/2008 page10)