Tracking the youth

As Team China veterans have passed the prime of their careers, Chinese athletics is in need of more young stars.

Take the men's sprint as an example. Team China's best medal hopes are still 33-year-old veteran Su Bingtian, who holds the men's 100m sprint Asian record, and 29-year-old Xie Zhenye, who holds the men's 200m sprint Asian record. The young generation of Chinese sprinters are still not ready to shoulder more responsibilities.

"The veterans are getting old, and the younger generation of sprinters are inexperienced. These are the main reasons why we have unsatisfying results right now," Li Qing, Tsinghua University professor and former head coach of China's sprint team, said during the recent forum in Shanghai.

"The fact that veterans Su Bingtian and Xie Zhenye are still trying their best to maintain their condition deserves our respect. However, we lack enough promising younger sprinters. This is the problem that we cannot ignore."

Some have made headlines in recent years, such as Chen Guanfeng, who, along with Tang Xingqiang, Su and Xie, was in the Chinese 4x100m relay team at last year's World Athletics Championships. However, many of the youngsters lack stability and some struggle with injuries.

"We do not have an efficient youth training system, and there's a lack of communication and cooperation between the provincial level youth teams and the university teams," Li Qing added.

"The teen years are a very important period. We need to build teams of different age groups. In different age groups, the runners have different goals to achieve. We need to refine the youth training system so we can find more talent for the national team."

Li Qing also stressed the importance of scientific training for the young athletes to avoid injuries and enjoy longer careers.