Veterans fold under pressure of crowd
By Yu Yilei
China Daily Staff Writer
Updated: 2008-08-10 08:23
How difficult is it to compete in this Olympics on home soil?
Just ask Du Li.
The sharpshooter is known for her nonchalant style and sweet smile in competition. But she broke into tears during an interview on national television a few minutes after she finished out of medal contention in the women's 10m air rifle.
Du Li reacts during the final round of the women's 10m air rifle event of the shooting competition at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, August 9, 2008. [Agencies] More Photos
Du, the defending Olympic champion, cruised into the final finishing second in the qualification round with only a one-ring margin separating her and eventual winner Katerina Emmons of Czech Republic. But Du suddenly lost her target in the final, an event in which the whole nation hoped she could duplicate her achievement in Athens, where she won on the last shot.
"Apparently I am not well prepared for such pressure," Du sobbed during an interview with China Central Television. "Fighting in front of the home crowd, that's pressure like I have never had."
Du has been under overbearing expectations to win the first gold of the Beijing Games like she did in Athens. The Shandong native made herself a favorite in Beijing after achieving a rare shooting Grand Slam, with titles from the Olympics, World Championships and World Cup Finals.
She was not the only Chinese shooter to succumb to nerves.
Teammate Zhao Yinghui is also a world-class shooter with several World Cup tournament titles under her belt. But Zhao also failed to make the final and was seen in tears as she completed another disappointing Olympic trip following failures at Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004. Veteran Tang Zongliang, competing in his fourth Olympics, also crashed out of the men's 10m air pistol in the qualification round.
"For shooters, playing in a home Olympics is more difficult because they are so close to the spectators and can be easily distracted because they can hear every word," Wang Yifu, coach of the Chinese shooting team said last year during the World Cup event held at the same venue.
A similar disappointment was seen in women's sabre when favored Chinese fencer Tan Xue, expected to win China's first Olympic fencing gold in 24 years, was stopped by Russian Sofiya Velikaya in the quarterfinals. Her teammates Bao Yingying and Huang Haiyang were also beaten in the quarters and the third round, respectively.
Tan denied that home expectations put her under extra pressure, but she was clearly not in her best form in front of a packed stadium.
"I think they are playing under huge pressure," said American Mariel Zagunis, who beat Bao en route to defending her Olympic title.
While the veterans bowed to pressure, China's Olympic first-timers did an excellent job overcoming it - the nation's two gold medals on opening day came from Olympic debutants.
Chen Xiexia won the women's weightlifting 48kg, setting an Olympic record, and Pang Wei triumphed in men's air pistol.
For them, it seemed, the best way to be inspired was to stay in obscurity. Both gold medalists were in the shadows of their star teammates heading into the Games and seemed fortunate to avoid attention.
