(August 11, 2008)

(The author, professor from Beijing Sport University)

At every Olympic Games, the media always wants to discuss who is likely to get more gold medals: the older or the younger athletes.

Russia's team members reach for the ball during their women's preliminary pool B volleyball match against Brazil at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, August 11, 2008. [Agencies]

In my opinion, there is no standard answer for this question as the situation and the result will naturally differ for each event and country.

Of the seven Chinese athletes who have received the six gold medals after the opening ceremony of the 2008 Olympics up to August 10, 2008, four are newcomers, including Chen Xiexia, 25, Pang Wei, 18, Guo Wenjun, 24, Long Qingquan, 18. The other three have already participated in one or more Olympics: Guo Jingjing, a veteran of four Olympics, Wu Minxia, joining the big event twice and mother Xian Dongmei, a champion at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

In Olympic history, Swedish shooter Oscar Swahn became the champion of shooting at the age of 64. Eight years later, Swahn and his 49-year-old son together won the team silver medal in the “running deer” double shooting events.

And there was a 7-year-old champion as the steersman who helped the Netherlands to succeed in the men's double canoes at the 1900 Paris Olympic Games.

Actually, in many events, such as shooting and equestrian, there are a lot of young athletes with steady spirits and older ones in good condition, such as British canoeist Steven Redgrave, who won five gold medals at five Olympics, American Karl Lewis, who ranked No.1 four times in jumping, and Chinese athlete Fu Mingxia has been at the top from ages 14 to 22.

Accordingly, there is no given discipline in which the older must be strongest or the younger cannot make themselves heroes. Differences exist in the structure of the events and the athletes' personal conditions, such as energy, skill and experience.

It is reasonable to consider their spirit or the training elements, but never the old-or-young comparison.

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