All That Glitters …

Is not gold. China debates its obsession with bringing home the most Olympic gold medals.

By Melinda Liu | Newsweek Web Exclusive

Aug 21, 2008 | Updated: 1:40 p.m. ET Aug 21, 2008

« Return to Article

Discuss

Posted By: lovejusticepeace @ 09/27/2008 9:14:31 AM

Comment: What has history taught us ?
People desire freedom and liberty more than anything else.
During almost 2000 years , the parting greeting of the Jew was 'next year in Jerusalem'.
The French people abandoned to poverty and tyranny had to storm the Bastille and get rid of an opulent monarchy . Thus was born , ' Liberty , Equality and Fraternity '
The Americans unjustly taxed and oppressed by colonial England had to resort to war after peacefully trying to make the English monarchy see sense through negotiations .
The racist , fascist. , communist Sinhala Lankans can never ever win this war .
Even if they succeed to take back some territories , the Tamil Eelam government will be setup in exile . Like the oppressed South Africans did , during the abnoxious Apartheid of the Dutch , by forming an ANC government in exile.
Posted By: jordan c. fan @ 09/07/2008 6:04:24 AM

Comment: (continu from post at 09/07/2008 5:50:59 AM, this part three of the set of posts)

If you still remember the controversy surrounding George W. Bush's arrogant official visit to the Buckingham Palace while showing ill manners, great disrespect and even insulting the British people, the Queen should have gotten rid of Bush right there and then. This reminds me of a great Shakespearean play set in Medieval London or Scotland taught by my primary school English English (no typo) teachers:

"If it were done when ???tis done, then t'were well
It were done quickly: If the assassination
Could trammel up the consequence, and catch
With his surcease success, that but this blow
Might be the be-all and end-all here....."

Like myself, Shakespeare was a competent prophet of the events happening today. With the unification of Britain and China as the ???be all,??? do it ???quickly,??? and the fall of the United States as the ???end all???, ???here??? -- where else but London Olympic itself? With my great supernatural power and the determination of the Chinese and British people such Acts will certainly be a success in bringing eternal peace to the entire world. This quotation should summarize this post perfectly.

As Prophet of Environment, I am now making a wish upon the stars, that the stars of the Chinese 5-stars flag be increased by four, to nine (9) stars, representing the English, Scottish, Welsh and Irish people. So ask your British friends to read my posts and support my great ideology.
Posted By: jordan c. fan @ 09/07/2008 5:50:59 AM

Comment: (continue from above)

I can easily list more advantages but the most important criteria is none of the above.

I was born and raised in the British Colony of Hong Kong therefore would prefer Cantonese instead of Mandarin as the official Chinese language against what other has suggested. During my education period in Hong Kong, all my English teachers were English. For English I mean they were from England not even Scotland, Wales or Ireland. Those teachers are certainly different those from second handed English speaking nations such as United States, Australia or Canada who have learned English from the Englishman.

For China to be the indisputable leader to rule the entire world, bilingualism of both Chinese and English is definitely the most fundamental requirement. There are no better English teachers for Chinese children or student than teachers from England or may be from Scotland, Ireland or Wales.

The 300 millions or so students in Chinese schools and universities will definitely need more than 3 millions or more English teachers. This will automatically solve all employment problems in Britain and also raise the salary levels. Bilingualism should not be restricted to language classes but should also apply to science, social science, maths and other subjects. If the unification and deployment of English teachers can be implement quickly. Chinese and English will be used fluently during the London Olympic for its visitors. While Americans have been pessimistically boasting their ???No child left behind programs,??? Chinese should called its bilingual program as a ???Educational Great Leap Forward???

Although the salary level of teachers were traditionally not very hefty. I am sure China will welcome British teachers with open arms to fulfill such shortages while British volunteers overcome salary obstacles. My personal experience with our British teachers have proven to result in great Chinese respects and admirations for the British people by honoring their teachers as mentors. Ironically, while Chinese are enjoying British English as a perfect accent, Hollywood always portrays their villains as people with English accent. This will certainly make such American hypocrisies the worse case of racism of all time.

In addition, American racists have always stereotyped Chinese/Asian and Britons as villains, prostitutes, servants and butlers in their many movies/TV series such as Kelsey Grammar's "Fraser", "Courtship of Eddy's Father", and all the "Batman" movies/series/cartoons. In the movie "Red Violin" while unrealistically glorifying a Black man as violin experts they portray Chinese as servants of a British mansion to increase box office income. Just to name a few with many more examples.......... Those are certainly serious insults to such great people. Such movies, TV series, producers and companies must all be banned and boycott in Asia, China and Britain now.
Posted By: jordan c. fan @ 09/07/2008 5:42:49 AM

Comment: There are certainly plenty of advantages for Britain to become a part of China or vice versa. For example:

(1) China's millions men strong army should provide Britain the much need security during and after the London Olympic.

(2) Both are prominent nuclear powers and permanent members of the United Nation, together they will have sufficent military strength and veto power which will dictate policies for the entire world to follow.

(3) Britain's excellent geographic location and port facilities ill definitely suitable for the European transportation and distribution center for Chinese goods after unification. That is, for China to ship all its goods bound for Europe to Britain and let it worries about marketing, advertising, distribution, sale and repair service, etc.... This will very cost effective saving energy and manpower. The British people are already the world experts in those areas. Such corporation will free China to concentration on research/development (R/D) and manufacturing. Hackling with stingy companies such as Wal Mart will soon be over. This will provide good opportunity for British employment and business growth.

(4) The Royal Family as leader of the British Commonwealth (soon become Britichinese Commonwealth) will introduce Chinese goods to those Commonwealth nations. While the British people are contemplating about the abolition of their monarchy due to financial problems, the Royals should become great asset to Chinese business expansion not to mention the great cultural heritage and religious leadership the Queen could provide. This will make the Dalai Lama an equal to the British Royal therefore making his return to China more permissible and reassuring to provide automatic solution the Tibetan problems.

But the most important criteria is none of the above.
Posted By: jordan c. fan @ 09/07/2008 5:30:43 AM

Comment: What Could London Do to Match Beijing Olympic Great Openning/Closing Scenes?

What could London do to match the great scenes of the Opening and Closing of the Beijing Olympic?

The answer is extremely simple and smart, the United Kindom will join the People Republic of China. In other words, Britain will become part of China, and China will then host the 2012 London Olympic. For the Beijing Olympic, the Chinese will have 151 medals, with 100 from Mainland, 4 bronze medals from Chinese Taipei and 47 from Britain. They will have exactly 70 gold medals from the Beijing Olympic. The British minority groups of China will obviously enjoy the same 151 medals. The British will be proud? Since Ireland only have 2 bronze medals, I would recommend Southern Ireland to join the United Kingdom. When United Kingdom join China, then the Irish will add 2 more bronzes making their Beijing Olympic medal tally 153.

I will assure that when their unification is complete, the London Olympic host by China will be the most spectacular sights human beings have ever seen. By then, a united China will be able to win 200 medals for the Chinese, Taiwanese Chinese, English, Scots, Welsh, and Irish to enjoy.
Posted By: judymac @ 08/27/2008 12:38:35 AM

Comment: Centuries??? barbarian acts again humanity (i.e., enslavement, robbery, genocide, colonization) have brought wealth and high living standards to the West. Democracy, human rights, Christianity, equal opportunity, and affirmative action become the new tactics of the West to dominate, to dictate, to split unity and to prevent weakening of a giant???a least they should have apologized to the rest of the world first. Liu is just another naïve, brainwashed, idiot, whiteman???s slave and running dog as those traitors in Tiananmen Square as I was. Let???s praise the stern actions by the Chinese government against those agitators who aim to impoverish 1.3 billion our people as the West has done to Africa, South America, Middle-East, the rest of the world for their greed. Let???s support the Chinese government action to unit our people to stand tall around the world???we need human rights!
Posted By: judymac @ 08/27/2008 12:38:15 AM

Comment: Centuries??? barbarian acts again humanity (i.e., enslavement, robbery, genocide, colonization) have brought wealth and high living standards to the West. Democracy, human rights, Christianity, equal opportunity, and affirmative action become the new tactics of the West to dominate, to dictate, to split unity and to prevent weakening of a giant???a least they should have apologized to the rest of the world first. Liu is just another naïve, brainwashed, idiot, whiteman???s slave and running dog as those traitors in Tiananmen Square as I was. Let???s praise the stern actions by the Chinese government against those agitators who aim to impoverish 1.3 billion our people as the West has done to Africa, South America, Middle-East, the rest of the world for their greed. Let???s support the Chinese government action to unit our people to stand tall around the world???we need human rights from the West!
Posted By: nawawimohamad @ 08/26/2008 1:39:22 AM

Comment: China in its ambitous desire to host the olympics has sacrificed so many things. The resources spent could have been used for better things. All these are very stupid and just potrayed the small minds and short-sightedness of the ruling politburo. While so many dreams were shattered, the whole event culminated to just a few moments of so-called glory.The olympics will soon be forgettened.
Posted By: Dartay @ 08/22/2008 11:43:40 PM

Comment: The world knew that China was a force to be reckoned with during these Olympic games due to their lack of sympathy toward human affairs. THEIR display of winning no matter what has been ASTOUNDING and what I would call a DISHONER to what the games represent. I still think the murder of the volleyball team's relative was planned, the obviously underaged gymnasts ETC. China is SCARY and they just proved it to the world.
- Posted By: jakewang @ 08/23/2008 3:21:37 AM
  
  Comment: bumpkin
Posted By: varacefan @ 08/22/2008 4:43:55 PM

Comment: Force people out of their homes to build the venues. Pay slave labor wages to the workers. Follow no building codes or envro. regulations. Use as much of the goverments money as needed to do the job. Required to get 0 permits or zoning approval on anything. Sen Obama pointed out how much progress China has made and how attractive they would be to business to locate there. Is he just that stupid or what? This country can not even feed or provide basic needs for its people. They have forced birth control and think nothing of a few thousand lives lost. Both China and Obama are about "Eye Wash". When you look beneith the surface there is nothing there except lies and distortions.
Posted By: Xris @ 08/22/2008 12:03:52 PM

Comment: Isn't it human to have aspirations to be #1? is it wrong? If any of western superpowers does fancy things it is either praised to the skies or failures justified; no leniency if it is an Asian nation - they would be criticised and bashed up. Anyways, everyone's not so gullible anymore, no one can deny that the next superpowers are from the east. And also let's see what what a western host nation has to offer next Olympics.
Posted By: ChristianAmerican @ 08/22/2008 11:32:08 AM

Comment: Melinda Liu continues her jihad against everything Chinese - She might want to change her surname from Liu to Liukkin. What a pathetic self-hating Asian!
Posted By: kvasyr @ 08/22/2008 9:02:24 AM

Comment: China has won more gold medals. Horay for China. America has won more medals overall. Horay for America. Be proud of your homeland. ATHLETES have competed to the best of their abilities and shown courtesy, respect, and friendship to one another. I'M GLAD, AT LEAST, THE ATHLETES GOT THE POINT.
Posted By: zytrugie@yahoo.co.jp @ 08/22/2008 6:46:09 AM

Comment: It's a shame the author did not point out that with all their obsession, energy, money, national pride going in to a "gold rush", China only got 2 bronze medals in the 3 most competitive global sports - soccer, track and field, basketball. They got almost 20 gold medals in 3 "sports" the rest of the world doesn't even play for fun let alone competitively - ping pong, badminton, diving. If baseball is not going to be an event in the future how can ping pong and badminton since North/South America, Europe, Africa, and many parts of Asia don't play those "sports"? Those are southeast Asian sports only. For all the financing and energy they put into this gold rush, China has actually done very poorly considering the massive effort they put in to winning medals in all sports. Other than ping pong, badminton, diving. they did not excel at all. America, having an off year, won about 25 medals in track and field, soccer, basketball which are the most completive sports on the planet. It's more than double Russia the other athletic power house. Imagine if USA had a centralized sports institution with the sole purpose of churning out robot athletes...they might have won a medal in badminton or ping pong!
- Posted By: varacefan @ 08/22/2008 4:26:12 PM
  
  Comment: I agree with you totally. The american athelites were introduced to their sport by their family or personal contacts. Their family sacrificed so that their kids could excel in these sports. The goverment did not pay for it or provide the coaches. A american swimmer who wins 8 gold metals did that because of the hard work of both himsef and his mother from the time he was a kid. The goverment did not take him away at 6 years old and pay for everything. We have a free market system in sports. If people like it they will play it and compete in it. If not they won't. Who cares who wins the gold in handball? That gold only means something to the people who play the sport. All 500 of them! I could care less about how many gold we win. I care more about which gold we win. Do well at what you do. Do the best you can! Forget the numbers. That is a media thing and only a media thing. Nobody else cares!
- Posted By: jakewang @ 08/22/2008 11:09:33 AM
  
  Comment: "China has actually done very poorly considering the massive effort they put in to winning medals in all sports." China is guaranteed to win medals in 21 of the 38 Olympic disciplines while U.S. only won medals in 19 disciplines! "track and field, soccer, basketball which are the most completive sports on the planet", to you? or is that a fact? What are you a sport chauvinist? "Other than ping pong, badminton, diving. they did not excel at all" China dominated weight lifting, men's gymnastics, won 13 medals including 5 gold medals in shooting(According to you, it is must not be that of a competitive or serious sport), it also made huge progress in fencing, boxing, wresting, sailing and so forth. Perhaps the yankees can top the gold medal list in a all-set-to-be the "most competitive" olympiad! Boy, jealousy is one ugly thing, is it not?
Posted By: MoCuishle119 @ 08/22/2008 5:14:03 AM

Comment: "athletes seem owned by the state" "the obvious underage female gymnists"

oh, my. is this what a good journalist do? A journalist just wirte according to hsi/her peronal "guesses"?

Chinese athletes usually play for "Province Teams". these teams are just linke the EPL teams, they even can trade players with each other. Why would you say this system is wrong while the EPL is great?

and "Obviously underage female gymnists"... please. the very first reports on this by the western media were faked at the first stage. Please dun tell me you think they are underage just bcoz of they are "short".

Yes many western media quoted one "xinhua" report in 2003 as an evidence for the "underage" issue. But they didn't mention that Xinhua announced an correction in that report 5 days after it was published (5 days after the original report was published in 2003, not the western ones in 2008)
Posted By: FREETHINKINGAMERICAN @ 08/21/2008 11:38:19 PM

Comment: Mr. Chen's answer that "Gold medals aren't the most important thing for us... The most important thing is how much people enjoy the Games???and I mean all people, including our many foreign visitors," is actually typically Chinese in its modesty and hospitality, as I know from having lived in China for the past 9 years.

All nations want to do well in the Olympics, that goes without saying - witness the jubilation
in the British press at Britain's succes in these Olympics.

China's joy in its success in these Olympics is without triumphalism, however, as a careful
reading of the China Daily will show you, in its celebration of the achievements of ALL athletes of ALL nations.

The coverage of the Olympics is very different in the British media and the American media " the British media have been very generous and open-minded whereas the American media has been very grudging and carping of China's success.

And with regard to the tally of medals, it is interesting that while all other newspapers, including British newspapers, put China in No. 1 place, American newspapers put America at No. 1.

A denial of reality? For if you assign 3 points to a gold, 2 points to a silver and 1 point to a bronze, then China is clearly at the top of the medal charts - which is what the charts in British nespapers show.
- Posted By: cleoj @ 09/09/2008 1:24:26 PM
  
  Comment: As a Chinese-American, I am happy whether China has the most golds or America has the most medals. However, it does seem to me that China takes it way too seriously. Taking children from their families at young ages to concentrate on their sport? Discouraging a girl from extracurricular activities because they distract her from her sport? That's a bit too much I think.
Posted By: tomwinfield77 @ 08/21/2008 8:13:34 PM

Comment: China has created suspicions about the legality of its athletes in the Olympics--the obvious underage female gymnists, who are products of slave training camps--and that leaves a bad taste in everyone's mouth. The communist Big Brother atmosphere, everything for the state, very little for the athletes and the people, makes China appear to be just what it is--a nation that cares very little for the individual. Where else in the world would parents gladly give up their little children to the state, hoping that gymnastics will bring prosperity to their house--prosperity from the state, that is... So glad I do not live there.
Posted By: bugenske @ 08/21/2008 7:16:57 PM

Comment: My experience in Shanghai has been that the people can instantly tell you how many gold medals China and the US have on a daily basis. Also, interesting that China websites typically rank Olympic countries by gold medal count, while the US predominantly rank by total medals. Is that how each country feels, or just to make each country come out on top?
- Posted By: FREETHINKINGAMERICAN @ 08/21/2008 11:50:14 PM
  
  Comment: Actually, bugenske, as I have pointed out in my later posting, with regard to the tally of medals, most newspapers, including British newspapers, put China in No. 1 place, while
  American newspapers put America at No. 1.
  
  Now if, as is quite logical, you assign 3 points to a gold, 2 points to a silver and 1 point to a bronze, then China is clearly at the top of the medal charts - which is what the charts in
  British newspapers show.
  American newspapers are in denial of reality???
Posted By: toaureg @ 08/21/2008 4:24:22 PM

Comment: What are you talking about....here in the states...college athletes are like slaves....for four years they are used and abused by schools, cities, and everyone else. Its seems fun.....but who is making the billions od $s, can these athletes take a share...10%...5%....1%......0.5%....nooooooooooooooooo we cannot pay student, its immoral......immoral my A$$....few people are making the big money and the majority of these athletes will start looking for a job that pays the minimum wage. fix college sports in the states and then say someting about china.

SALAH BEDAIDA
- Posted By: BaldEagle1960 @ 08/22/2008 1:23:05 PM
  
  Comment: You are so right. That Mike Krzyszewski (Duke U Basketball Coach and Team USA Mens BB Coach) can make millions from Nike,etc., while his players get in trouble for taking a car from a booster is a joke. And it's just not Coach K. It's most major college programs. The kids are used to make the Athletic Departments loads of money, and few end up making a living off of it, if they even graduate.
Posted By: steve adams @ 08/21/2008 2:40:37 PM

Comment: I find the medal distribution interesting. In most countries (US, Russia, Germany, Australia) with enough medals to make analysis reasonable you see an even distribution between the medals (gold, silver, bronze). - Larger countries, bigger, broader youth sports participation more medals all around. Makes sense. But for China you see a big lump of golds. The count is high enough that you can see the results of the drive. On the historical count you can see a change starting in 2000 driving the gold count. For what it's worth.
Posted By: steve adams @ 08/21/2008 2:38:56 PM

Comment: I find the medal distribution interesting. In most countries (US, Russia, Germany, Australia) with enough medals to make analysis reasonable you see an even distribution between the medals (gold,silver,bronze). - Larger countries, bigger, broader youth sports participation more medals all around. Makes sense. But for China you see a big lump of golds. The count is high enough that you can see the results of the plan. In a look at the 2004 and 2000 results you can see the lopsidedness towards gold started then and continues to grow now. FWIW