This past week of training and holidaying out in Hong Kong, I have observed in action some things that I have long suspected. The key one being that the Chinese have a far greater work ethic than we do in the west and that this indeed carries through to their sports and subsequent success at the Olympics.
Sure they didn’t win many medals in the track and field, but were cleaning up in just about every other sport available. How do they do it? There have been numerous cries of doping ever since Ye Shiwen their young 16 year old female swimmer left most elite men for dead in her wake in the first week of competition. History and science says that this should just not be possible ranted those in the know - hence she must be doped up to the eyeballs on some East German type steroids.
What those critics fail to mention is that China has adopted a real efficient business-like approach to producing champions. Firstly they went after many good coaches in the west (including many Australian swim coaches) and secured their services through paying these people a decent wage for their expertise. Secondly and perhaps most importantly they have a natural respect for the coach and trainer in China and comply implicitly with what is asked of them. This must have been something completely new for some of the western coaches who moved over there.
We have no less talent here in the west than the Chinese do, but what we do have is a lack of people who are willing to really hurt to make it count. Our athletes are too fond of playing video games or posing with celebrities for photos on twitter when they should really be putting aside those mobile phones and focusing more on their sport.
All too often the western approach to sport is the following: First I will go get drunk and maybe land in some trouble, then I will chat up some girls and maybe land in some more trouble, then I might shoot some commercials and send some tweets - then some more tweets and finally I might do some training just if I feel like it mind you.
Chinese approach - work hard, then work harder - then work harder still and then finally come home with the gold medal. No molly coddling - no mucking around. It is so true that hard work and discipline will win over sheer talent all the time. When you combine the talent and hard work then you get the type of swimmer of the calibre of Ye Shiwen.
Running together (with better work ethic) stride for stride on a life changing ride! -- Sean Muller
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