By Qin Jize (China Daily)
Updated: 2007-09-06 06:25

CANBERRA: The Australian wool-shearing bronze medal winner yesterday said he hopes the sport would be recognized as an Olympic discipline because only then he could visit Beijing during the 2008 Games.

Graeme Clugston, who demonstrated his wool shearing skills in front of President Hu Jintao, said he was greatly honored to meet the head of the world's most populous state.

He watches everything on and about China that is shown on TV but has never been to the country, he said.

Despite his expertise in wool shearing, Clugston said he was really nervous to demonstrate in front of Hu.

"I was nervous again when he shook hands with me and praised me. I felt privileged," he said after turning a three-year-old merino sheep with a woolly coat "bald" in four minutes.

Hu reached Bywong Station, about 30 minutes drive from Canberra, yesterday morning to gain first hand knowledge of Australian rural life.

He showed great interest and kept asking questions and feeling the clipped wool after it was sorted and ready to be pressed into a bale.

The 38-year-old Clugston, engaged in the profession for 20 years, said he understood Hu's visit reflected the importance of friendly ties between China and Australia.

"China buys about 60 percent of Australian wool and is also the biggest buyer of Australian clip," he said.

Hu had morning tea with Ian Cusack, owner of Bywong Station, and his family and tasted some Australian snacks.

During his half a hour chat with the family, Hu said he had toured a family sheep farm in Australia 21 years ago and was quite impressed by it.

"I must say it was very comfortable and he is very charming," Cusack said after the family had posed for photographs with Hu.

Cusack presented Hu with a navy scarf made of wool, saying China has provided a big market for Australia's fine wool.

Bywong Station has about 2,800 sheep and 170 cattle heads on the 17-sq km grassland. Since it's suffering the impact of a severe drought, the 45-year-old owner is pinning hope on China to buy more wool.

Before his visit to the farm, Hu met with the House of Representatives Speaker David Hawker and Senate President Alan Ferguson, and both sides talked highly of the growing bilateral ties.

Hu reached Sydney later yesterday from the Australian capital and had dinner with New South Wales Premier Morris Iemma. Hu is scheduled to hold talks with Prime Minister John Howard today.

(China Daily 09/06/2007 page2)