Li Xiaoshuang, a two-time Olympic gymnastics champion, is placing blame at the feet of the Chinese national gymnastics team’s coaching staff.
The country’s men’s team came up short at the Paris Olympics this week and ultimately claimed the silver medal.
Li believed the athletes should not solely bare the responsibility for the team’s shortcomings at the Summer Games.
“Our team of coaches have issues. Let’s not put all responsibilities on athletes. If they failed, the coaches did something wrong,” 50-year-old Li said in an online live broadcast that circulated across Chinese social media, according to Reuters.
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China wins silver in the men’s team final during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Bercy Arena in Paris on July 29, 2024. (James Lang-USA Today Sports)
Li also called for a fundamental change to the country’s approach to the sport.
“Our athletes are too old. Sports needs young people. We really need to change the way we train and select athletes,” he said.
The average age of China’s five gymnasts who traveled to Paris is 26.2.
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Li first won Olympic gold in the floor competition at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and again in the all-around at the 1992 Summer Games in Atlanta.
Xiao Ruoteng, 28, and Su Weide, 24, committed some critical errors in the final rotation of the all-around event. The mistakes proved costly as the Chinese saw their three-point lead over Japan after the first five apparatus evaporate.
Li Xiaoshuang performs at the Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, on July 24, 1996. (Tony Duffy/Allsport)
Li said he had a painful experience watching the Chinese team compete at the Olympics.
“After watching the competition, I felt so much pain. It was really painful. Good soldiers need a good general. China has a great gymnastics team, but we lack leadership and that’s a problem,” Li said.
An overview of men’s gymnastics qualification during the Olympic Games at Bercy Arena in Paris on July 27, 2024.
“Su got the job at the last minute and barely had any training. We don’t have anyone that is 18, 19 or 20 years old. How are we going to make it to the next Olympics?” said Li, who was 18 when he won his first Olympic gold.”
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Li argued that his country has failed to produce gymnasts who can compete at a high level on the vault since Cheng Fei, who earned gold in the women’s team event at the Olympics 16 years ago.
“We are good on the beam and not bad on the uneven bars but how come our vault – I find it unacceptable! The routines haven’t changed since ’92,” said Li.
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