|
 |
| Guo Jingjing is seen in this undated promotion
photo for a brand name cosmetic products.
(sohu) |
A champion many times over, Guo Jingjing has become the "World's Number
One Princess in Diving." Presently, Guo has set her sights on the 2008
Olympics.
However, rumors have circulated that Guo's name was not included on the
concentration-training list of the China National Diving Team for the 2008
Olympics, as, instead, her beautiful close-up photos have popped up over the cosmetics
counters in Chinese shopping malls.
As people marvel at Guo's
remarkable change from gold medallist to sexy star, they also learn
various tidbits about her
through the sports and entertainment pages of newspapers.
They have begun to worry about Guo, wondering if her sports career will
soon come to an end and whether she will be able to cope with financial
temptations.
Certainly, Guo possesses all the prerequisite commercial elements of a
star: Olympic-championship crowns, charming appearance, intelligence, and,
of course, news value.
After the September celebrations for Chinese gold medallists in the
Athens Olympics, Guo's name went far from newspapers' sports pages and
frequently appeared in the top headlines of entertainment pages.
Guo began to show up on various commercial occasions, making herself
one of the most sought-after targets of the paparazzi . To respond the public's
veiled words on her commercial activities, Guo said she had been on
vacation.
According to Li Hua, director of the China National Swimming
Administrative Center, the diving team has called Guo back and agreed on
specific restrictions and management for her commercial activities, which
exclude the commercial advertisements contracted by the center itself. Li
has admitted Guo's "over-participation in commercial activities" in the
past.
To explain why Guo was not included on the concentration-training list,
Li said that was because "she asked the team for a period of relaxation."
"Guo is still a member of the national team for sure," he said.
As Chinese athletes swept an unprecedented 32 gold medals at the
Olympic Games, China's sports became closer than ever to entertainment.
But Chinese athletes are different from foreign stars like David
Beckham and Anna Kournikova. Guo Jingjing, Tian Liang, and Liu Xiang are
not purely athletic stars; the Chinese state bears all the
responsibilities and expenses for training them.
"The copyright of Chinese athletes belongs to the state instead of the
athletes themselves," said Xiao Shuhong, associate professor of the
Administrative College of the Beijing University of Physical Education.
"As a matter of fact, the state has acted as the promoter of the athletes
in commercial activities."
Guo Jingjing is merely an individual case among many Chinese Olympic
champions who have recently become popular stars. After his Athens success
in the 110-meter hurdles, Liu Xiang participated in a series of commercial
events: off-line ceremonies for automobiles, promotions for mobile phones,
and advertising for designer fashions. Sun Tiantian and Li Ting, women's
tennis gold medallists in Athens, have signed contracts to be spokeswomen
for many brands.
Excellent athletes have won favor in commercial
markets, but it seems that their "parent," China's State General
Administration of Sports, has not yet been well-prepared. Different
administrative centers have worked out contingency management measures for
the commercial activities of Olympic champions. The volleyball
administrative center, for example, stipulates
that any advertising shooting should not collide with training
time and an athlete is only allowed one trademark.
For the administration of the athletes' commercial activities, the
State General Administration of Sports promulgated three documents in
1996, 1998, and 2001. The 2001 regulations clearly state that all the
administrative centers should examine and oversee the form and content of
advertisements by athletes. The athletes are not allowed to participate in
commercial advertising activities without approval, and half of the
advertising revenue goes to the athletes themselves. The rest is allocated
to coaches, sports associations, and the training units of the athletes.
The 2001 regulations have never been changed.
In recent years, however, in the process of sports
industrialization, the market operation of sports stars has developed
rapidly. Last year, basketball idol Yao Ming protested Coca-Cola for image
right infringement
.
According to a regulation in Document 505 issued in 1996: "The intangible
assets of in-service athletes belongs to the state." This case undoubtedly
raised a warning to the policies concerned, which were not adjusted in a
timely way and resulted in the administrative centers' passive responses
to the athlete's star fever.
Athletes do have potential market value, and the important thing is
realizing their value to satisfy both the market and individual demands
while tallying with the national interest. Which will athletes in the
future depend on more, the market or the state?
(CRIENGLISH) | 
Updated: 2005-01-19 09:53