China aims for beauty, not danger

As the world's top gymnasts take aim at the Sydney Summer Olympics, China's sport chiefs are pleading for more control over the unrelenting drive for more difficult and dangerous manoeuvres.

Fresh in their minds is a tragic fall that paralysed national vaulting champion Sang Lan, 19, and they want international rules changed to make gymnastics safer.

Sang was paralysed from the chest down when she fell during warm-up exercises at the Goodwill Games in New York in 1998.

Accidents in gymnastics are not unusual, but the incident, under the glare of the world media, prodded China, a gymnastics power, to do some serious soul searching.

Beijing quickly provided insurance cover for their gymnasts, and their sports chiefs say they will rally others to their cause.

"It is our view that manoeuvres should not be too difficult and more emphasis should be placed on aesthetics and perfecting existing movements," said Zhang Jian, vice president of the Chinese Gymnastics Association.

"We will continue to press our view in the International Gymnastics Federation to gain acceptance. At least among Asian countries, we must try to have this joint objective that gymnastics should not proceed in the direction of difficulty."

The Chinese say competitive gymnastics should emphasise aesthetics and risky manoeuvres equally.

Zhang, China's top gymnastics coach, partly blames Western countries for the increase in risky moves in recent years.

"In international discussions, Western countries want more excitement and ever harder acrobatics. So the trend now is still towards harder and harder movements. But this should not be, if gymnastics keep proceeding in that direction, the risks of injuries will be more," he told Reuters.

Particularly difficult stunts should be classified and only the best gymnasts should be allowed to try them, said Qian Kui, coach and leader of the Chinese National Gymnastics Team.

"For example, a triple back somersault can only be achieved by very few. Li Xiaoshuang did it in Barcelona. Such manoeuvres should be classified as a super high level, and people should not be encouraged to do it as they are dangerous," Qian said.

Li, now retired, landed the rare triple back somersault in the floor exercise event in 1992 at the Barcelona Olympics.

His feat, which very few men have ever attempted successfully in major competitions, won him the gold.

"We should be awarded more in the perfection of present manoeuvres. If people can gain points, and win, on perfection rather than seeking more and more difficult manoeuvres, than the sport would become perfectly aesthetic," Qian said.

Making the sport safer and more aesthetic would also widen its appeal, Qian said.

"Except in the United States, the pool of gymnasts is getting smaller all over the world. If we go for perfection, there would be more people appreciating the sport," Qian said.

"In China, people are interested but they think it is difficult. If we can make it appealing to young and old, big and small, fat and thin, then it will get better."

China typically cull their top gymnasts from Hunan, Guangdong and Hubei -- provinces which place importance on the sport.

Expensive gymnastics facilities are beyond the means of most schools and factories in many other parts of China and authorities are now trying to help, Zhang said.