China's struggles at swimming worlds raise questions
(AP)
Updated: 2005-08-01 09:18

China failed to make much of a splash at the World Swimming Championships, prompting an American coach to question China's tactics, the Associated Press reported.

Luo Xuejuan in the preliminary of 50m breast stroke July 30, 2005. [Xinhua]

The Chinese want to be on top of the medals chart at their home Olympics in 2008, a goal that requires a strong effort at the pool. In swimming alone, 28 golds and 84 medals overall will be on the line in Beijing.

But China didn't win any events in Montreal and managed only five medals overall, the same number as nontraditional swimming countries South Africa and Canada. By contrast, the United States won 15 golds and 32 total medals, according to AP.

"We keep waiting for [the Chinese] to break through," said Dave Salo, coach of the U.S. men's team. "Maybe they're waiting for 2008 so they can step up and surprise us. We've got to keep an eye on the Chinese swimmers."

After China's women -- known as the "Golden Flowers" -- won 12 golds at the 1994 world championships, the country was involved in an embarrassing series of doping scandals, the AP report said.

Thirty-two Chinese swimmers were caught for drug offenses in the 1990s, two of them twice. Another three were disqualified from a domestic competition for having excessive red blood cell counts.

Zhou Ming, the former Chinese head coach, was banned for life after several of his female swimmers were caught doping.

"We know they have the athletes," Salo said. "I'm surprised. They don't seem to take this meet as seriously as I would think."

Considering China's record of doping, he said, the rest of the world has reason to be concerned, according to AP.

"It raises suspicions when they're not being the best they can be," Salo said. "It's a concern that we're going to get to Beijing and they haven't done anything for three years, then all of a sudden there's going to be guys in the final that we've never heard of."

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