Tokyo preparations full of challenges and uncertainty

In the shadow of uncertainty cast by the COVID-19 pandemic, the determination of Chinese athletes to perform to their best at the Tokyo Olympics is unwavering.

Olympic champion and Team China shooting coach Du Li typifies that spirit.

A member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Du left midway during the annual two sessions, which concluded on Wednesday in Beijing, to return to her team's training base in Putian, Fujian province.

"Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many international competitions were canceled. And we have been training behind closed doors since last year," Du said.

When the outbreak started last year, Chinese athletes were still active in Olympic qualifiers and related tournaments. Some elected to remain abroad to train and compete were possible, with others returning home fearing for their safety.

The Tokyo Olympics, postponed until July 2021, will award medals across 339 events in 33 different sports.

According to the General Administration of Sport of China, by March 2020, Chinese athletes had qualified for Tokyo in 162 events across 22 sports, including archery, equestrian, diving, women's basketball, women's volleyball and table tennis.

Impacted by the pandemic, qualification in 25 sports, including fencing, judo, track and field, swimming and gymnastics, has yet to conclude, leaving athletes' plans askew.

With only four months to go before the opening of the Tokyo Olympics, athletes are still training behind closed doors.

"The main problem is that we don't have formal events. It is quite problematic. Without competitions, athletes find it hard to adjust their form in training," Du said.

"For over a year, some young shooters only participated in several national trials, which cannot be put on a par with international competitions such as the World Cup and the Olympic Games.

"Despite the athletes' results in training, there is still much uncertainty going into events."

Chinese taekwondo athletes have also experienced a prolonged period of frustration in their preparation for the Games.

"These last 10 months were not only disastrous for athletes but also very tough for the national team's preparations for the Olympics," said Guan Jianmin, a CPPCC member and president of the Chinese Taekwondo and Karate Association.

"It's especially arduous for older athletes and those who need to control their weight," he added.

Swimmer Wang Shun spent much of last year training behind closed doors. "Life was really boring. There seemed to be nothing other than training," he said.

Female fencer Xu Anqi and her epee teammates have been training for nearly nine months but unable to participate in competitions. "Some young athletes told me that they were depressed, and they did not know what they were training for," Xu said.

Some of that anxiety has been alleviated by adjusting holiday windows and providing more leisure options for athletes, while squads have done their best to organize domestic trials and competitions to keep spirits up.

"I hope both me and my athletes can achieve good results," said Du, a two-time Olympic gold medalist.

Chinese Basketball Association president Yao Ming, also a CPPCC member, has urged Chinese athletes to look at the bigger picture beyond the Tokyo Games.

"My wish is for the Chinese men's and women's basketball teams to be competitive in the world, not just to get a ticket to the Olympics," the hoops legend said.

Xinhua