NPR has posted the first of a 5-part series.
Once again the gym featured is Li Xiaoshuang Gymnastics School in Xiantao, Hubei.
Around 100 youngsters, between four and nine years old, train at Li Xiaoshuang. Most of them board at the school to take advantage of its nine gymnastic coaches.
Gymnastics — in any country — is a tough and painful sport. And Beijing’s sports machine has generally had a bad press. Yet some argue that Chinese athletes are in some ways more fortunate than their Western counterparts, particularly as they are paid a government salary. …
How much money has your gym been given by the government over the past 10 years?
Even though it is remote, the Li Xiaoshuang gymnastics school is a beneficiary of state largesse. It has received $14 million in funding over the past decade. …
Click through to read this excellent article:
Boarding Schools Generate China’s Sport Stars by Louisa Lim. Be sure to watch the photo gallery audio slide show.
Gymnastics Coaching.com 