Behold: Cheng Fei with Short Hair

Yesterday we reported - not without a measure of horror - that Cheng Fei was considering getting a short haircut. The news inspired one of our readers to get creative with Photoshop and produce a photo of what Cheng might look like with short hair. The result cracked us up so much that we thought we'd share the pic with you.

Behold: Cheng Fei with short hair.



We dearly hope she doesn't go through with the plan. Someone please show her this pic and explain to her why getting a haircut like this would be a phenomenally bad idea before it's too late!

Many thanks to our anonymous reader and Photoshopper for providing us with a good (albeit horrified) laugh.

Cheng Fei's Wishes for the New Year

Aside from our recent Sang Lan update, it's been a while since we posted any Chinese news. This is because our China correspondent, Meiying, is eight months pregnant and alternating between feeling too tired to do anything and trying desperately to get her house and life in order before the little one arrives. She has sworn she'll submit some stories soon, but we're not holding our breath. We agree that the nursery takes precedence right now. :)

Thankfully we have availed ourselves of the services of a second China correspondent, JW, who probably knows more about Chinese gymnastics than anyone else outside China and is enjoying taking time off from her job to translate Chinese articles for us. This is her first story, a translation of a very recent Sina article about Cheng Fei's wishes for the new year. One of those wishes is apparently to get a short haircut. We dearly hope someone will talk her out of that, as our eyes are still burning from some of the other heinous short haircuts we've seen over the years...

Anyhow, here's that Sina story!


Cheng Fei is ready to leap into the new year!
(Photo: Mark Dadswell/Getty Images)
Cheng Fei's many new year's wishes: Get a short haircut, go to the cinema, and visit an amusement park

"Would you believe it? I've been in Beijing for eight years now, and I've still never been to an amusement park. It's really pitiful!" Cheng Fei shook her head with a smile.

On the afternoon of January 8, members of the national gymnastics team took part in a photoshoot to celebrate the upcoming Chinese New Year. After the shoot ended, the athletes chatted with reporters about their wishes for the upcoming year. Women's team captain Cheng Fei was the first to share her hopes.

She told reporters that in her eight years on the national team, she's never been to an amusement park, even though the Beijing Amusement Park is just a 20-minute bus ride from the athletes' residence in the Tiantan dormitory.

"When I first joined the national team, I was very young and had no money. Going to an amusement park seemed like such a luxury. Before the 2006 World Championships, the team organized a trip to the Beijing Amusement Park. But that afternoon, I didn't do well in training, and Coach Lu [Shanzhen] gave me a good scolding. After that, I didn't feel like going anywhere!"

Cheng Fei said that she'd really like to visit the nearby Beijing Amusement Park to stroll around and have some fun. "But I guess this won't be an easy wish to fulfill. It's too cold to go in the wintertime, and in the summer, there are too many people. I imagine that when we got there, everyone would look at us. We Olympians would attract too much attention!" she said with a chuckle.

Apart from visiting an amusement park, Cheng Fei also longs to see a film in a movie theater. "As old as I am, aside from a first-grade trip to see Liu Hulan, I've never been inside a cinema." She watched Feng Xiaogang's If You Are the One [a very popular film from Hong Kong] on the Internet, but she'd love to see it on the big screen. In her view, this wish should be easier to fulfill than her desire to visit an amusement park. A theater would be dark, so movie-goers wouldn't be whipped into a frenzy by the presence of Olympians.

Cheng Fei's third wish is to cut her hair short. "I've had long hair for so many years. This year, I'd like to get a short haircut. That way, I could start my new year from the very 'head!'" This "head" of course hints at her desire to put her Olympic disappointments behind her and start from zero in a renewed quest for glory. 　　


Cheng Fei's New Year's wish for her fans, which reads, "If you encounter fortunate events, accept them nonchalantly; if you encounter adverse events, take them calmly." (Photo: Sina)

Cheng Fei: "What Counts Is That I've Gained Confidence"

Cheng Fei did well in Madrid, claiming gold medals on vault and floor as expected. A fall on beam on a sheep jump prevented her from taking a 3rd medal on that apparatus.


Cheng Fei remembers what it feels like to win a vault final (photo: Volker Minkus/FIG)
After the competition, Cheng Fei said that the medals themselves didn't mean a great deal to her, but that the Madrid competition had given her self-confidence a major boost. "The gold content of the World Cup gold medals may not be very high, but what counts is that I've gained confidence," the multiple world champion was quoted as saying by Sina.

Cheng's former coach Zhao Hanhua echoed the confidence-boosting aspect, saying, "There weren't many top competitors at this World Cup Final, but through her own performances, Cheng Fei had the opportunity to tell herself: 'I can still do this!' Many people don't know how discouraged Cheng Fei was after letting the vault and floor titles slip through her fingers at the Beijing Olympics. Today she had a chance to prove herself again, which wasn't easy."

Cheng herself once again stressed that she had gotten over her Beijing disappointment. Speaking of the mental journey she had made since the Olympics, the 20-year-old said, "There was nothing for it. When something has just happened, you have very strong emotions, and you may be in low spirits. But it's over now, and I can only move on now, step by step."

According to Sina, Cheng appeared quite relaxed in Madrid. To prove this, the site quoted Cheng's father, Cheng Ligao (now a coach), who said, "Today my daughter finally rang her mother, saying that she was having a lot of fun in Madrid. So we asked her: 'In that case, will you still be training?' She said: 'Of course.'"

As far as the elder Cheng is concerned, his daughter now has to confirm that she'll be at next year's National Games. After that, he says, it's up to her to decide whether or not she wishes to stay in the sport.


Cheng Fei performing her floor routine in Madrid (photo: Volker Minkus/FIG)

Cheng herself once more expressed an interest in pursuing academic interests after this year. "After today I may spend a bit more time studying," the athlete was quoted as saying by Sina. "After this competition, I hope I can learn a bit more about other things."

Cheng Fei is a student at the Wuhan Sports Institute, but she indicated in Madrid that she would like to study some non-sports-related things now. Asked on what kind of course exactly she would like to embark, Cheng answered: "I haven't really thought it over yet in detail. I just hope I'll gradually have a bit more time to study."

We're not sure that sounds like a future 2012 Olympian, but as far as we're concerned, Cheng has earned the right to pursue her own interests for a while.

Cheng Fei: "If the Team Needs Me, I'll Go On and Give It 100 Percent."

It seems the Chinese media are a little obsessed with Cheng Fei's future in the sport at the moment. You can't go to Sina without coming across someone's views on the subject: a coach's, a journalist's, what have you. What's different about today's Sina article is that it's Cheng herself doing the talking. Yep, it's an actual Cheng Fei interview, and if it has a message, it's that Cheng is a great team player. Well, we all knew that, didn't we?


Cheng Fei at the press conference where the questions below were asked (photo: Xinhua)

Reporter: Cheng Fei, can we talk about the next stage of your career?

Cheng Fei: Thanks to all the reports, everybody should know by now what my competitive situation is like. The most important thing for me right now is to improve my training level. Obviously I'm not nearly in the shape that I was at the Olympics, but if I work very hard to get it back, I hope I'll attain the standard needed to win the World Cup Finals.

Reporter: What concrete objectives do you have for these World Cup Finals? Not too long ago you won three gold medals at the Stuttgart World Cup competition. 　　

Cheng Fei: You may all have these high anticipations, but I myself haven't defined any exact goals. As long as I compete well in each final, I'll be quite happy. 　　


Cheng Fei and coach Lu Shanzhen in Beijing (photo: Julie Jacobson/AP Photo)

Reporter: Cheng Fei, everybody seems to want to know whether you'll be able to go to the 2012 London Olympics. Do you yourself have enough faith and confidence to go on [until then]? 　　

Cheng Fei: I can't say for sure how long I'll go on training, but while I remain in training, I'll give it my all. It's like our coach said. If the team needs me, I'll go on and give it 100 percent. However, the team is getting a lot of new members at the moment. If those new girls have a lot of potential and train very hard, and if a few years from now I'm not in the greatest of shapes anymore, I believe I'll have to make a rational decision. 　　

Reporter: If it's really like that, won't it be a bit of a waste to go on training for [just] a few more years? 　　

Cheng Fei: I don't think so, because there will be many competitions before 2012. My main goal now is to help more new girls get better and to create a good competitive atmosphere together. My main goal is still to help the women's team get better and to obtain even better results. 　　

Reporter: After the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, Liu Xuan also retired for a while and did some coaching for some time. When she finally returned to the team and had to work out like a regular team member again, she felt like a completely different human being. Have you ever considered doing a little coaching yourself?

Cheng Fei: I haven't really considered it. Being a coach is a tough job. If you want to become an outstanding coach, it's like this. You must study hard and expend a lot of time and energy, and you must gain a lot of experience. If I make up my mind to become a coach, I shouldn't want to be a coach and go on training at the same time. Right now I hope that training will be just that, training, and that being a member of the team still means being a member of the team. 　　


(photo: AFP/Getty Images)

Reporter: Will your routines in Madrid be as difficult as the ones you did at the Olympics? 　　

Cheng Fei: Difficultywise, I won't be at my Olympic level. Also, there are other things you have to factor in before deciding on a particular start value: the feeling you have right before the competition, the site, that sort of thing.

We guess that means we won't be seeing any Amanars or Cheng Fei vaults in Madrid, but then again we weren't expecting to at this time of the year. Just hit the DTY, Cheng Fei jie!

Good News for Those of Us Who Hate China's Blue Eyeshadow!

If, like us, you've wondered for the last few years when the Chinese girls were going to ditch their bright blue eyeshadow and wear something less conspicuous and more yellow-and-red-friendly instead, we have good news for you. Apparently things are going to change!

Chinese head coach Lu Shanzhen spoke to several Chinese journalists yesterday. Naturally most of the conversation revolved about Cheng Fei and her post-Olympic plans, but Lu also had some news about China's current training camp. And - wait for it - about the team's makeup.


Jiang Yuyuan and her blue eyeshadow (photo: Getty Images)

Apparently some "Internet friends" suggested to Lu that the women's gymnastics team invite a makeup artist to teach the girls how to put on sophisticated makeup. And apparently Lu has come to the conclusion that this is a good idea. "The girls must learn all sorts of skills," he was quoted as saying by Sina. "Which means more than just unceasingly increasing their start values."

What can we say? We look forward to seeing the Chinese in their next big competition. Will there be any blue eyeshadow? Stay tuned!

A few other tidbits from the Sina article...

It seems the Chinese women's team has started its traditional "winter training" in Beijing. Yesterday, Coach Lu told reporters that, without any of the usual brouhaha, the girls' winter training had begun. Among the girls in winter training are Cheng Fei, He Kexin, Yang Yilin, and other Olympic team members, some of whom are currently preparing for the World Cup Final.

Meanwhile, the selection process for the "seeds of the 2012 Olympic team" has also begun. According to Lu Shanzhen, 60 young national team members born in 1995 and 1996 from all over the country have convened in Beijing for a joint training camp that will last either a week or 10 days, depending on which source you believe.

Lu also said that China's Olympic gold medal in the team competition had proven that the women's team's method of using new people all the time so as to find the strongest contenders for a place on the A team worked, so now he wants to see more fresh faces on the team. Expect to see lots of different Chinese gymnasts at various international competitions over the next few years!


Lu Shanzhen and Cheng Fei after Cheng's Olympic disaster (photo: Amy Sancetta/AP Photo)
As to Cheng Fei, Lu said that she's currently in a post-Olympic readjustment period. She's certainly keeping up her difficulty, but she's not yet in her Olympic peak form. Over the next 1 or 2 years, says Lu, Cheng Fei's training will be readjusted. This 1-or-2-year readjustment period will determine whether or not Cheng will be able to compete in London in 2012.

Lu admitted to giving his team captain special treatment. "When it comes to an 'old general' like her, we must definitely give her a relaxed environment to train in."

He also said he believed Cheng would be hard to replace as the team leader, which is one more reason why he hopes to have her around for 4 more years. "If everything takes its normal course, there's absolutely no reason why she shouldn't be able to compete until 2012, as long as she herself is willing to persevere. After all, she really isn't that old yet. She has no injuries or health problems. She's in better shape than some of our youngsters. Moreover, even if Cheng Fei takes a step back, she's still going to have the greatest difficulty and strength on vault and floor. If other people want to surpass her, they'll have their work cut out for them."

With a coach who's that keen on keeping her, we expect to see Cheng around for a few more years.

Just to Prove That Sandra Izbasa Isn't the Only One Who Occasionally Gets Dolled Up by a Magazine...

THIS is a video of Cheng Fei doing a photo shoot of sorts.

We fear that La Cheng doesn't quite have La Izbasa's flair in these matters. She looks distinctly awkward. Also, that outfit? We're sure it's fashionable, but still. Weird, man. Weird.

If anyone has copies of the pictures of Cheng coolly kicking air while wearing those giant puffed sleeves, we'd love to see them. Pretty please?

Update: No pictures of the air kicks, but thanks to one of our readers, we did manage to find these shots!








Thanks, Anonymous!

Update No. 2: The kick! We think those puffed sleeves are hilarious on a girl who's trying to look tough.



Update No. 3: The whole series of photos can be seen as a slideshow here. Click on the right-hand button above the slideshow and you'll see the whole thing!

Chinese News Roundup

While certain Chinese gymnasts were competing in Europe at the Massilia Gym Cup and the Milan Grand Prix, life went on in China for others. A quick, injury-free roundup of Sina stories from this weekend...



--- On November 21 Olympic all-around champ Yang Wei received China's Best Athlete of the Year Award. In his acceptance speech a calm and collected Yang praised and thanked his teammates for their collective effort, which apparently meant a lot to him, then expressed his gratitude to his bride, Yang Yun. We're guessing the award means that the powers that be have forgiven Yang for his extremely lavish wedding, for which he came under a lot of fire in China.

--- Not surprisingly, Yang's coach Huang Yubin was voted Best Coach of the Year, not just in gymnastics, but overall. Huang couldn't personally accept the award as he was in Taiwan, but his fellow coach Wang Guoqing expressed his gratitude on his behalf.

--- Meanwhile, Jiang Yuyuan has won an award of her own, albeit a less formal one. According to her coach, Zhang Xia, Jiang is the "most intelligent, cutest and cleverest" member of the Chinese women's team. We'll second that!


Jiang Yuyuan in front of a character that means "number". That'll be No. 1 then.
--- Finally, on a visit to Hong Kong University, Cheng Fei indicated that she might like to get a degree there after her retirement from gymnastics, whenever that may be. She also said she hoped to be back in Hong Kong next year, when the East Asian Games will be held in the city. We hope so too!

"I Cried Until My Soul Had Completely Left My Body"

As we all know, Cheng Fei had a rocky Olympics. She was on cloud nine after the team competition, only to swallow a bitter pill during the individual event finals, an experience she likened to "a trip from Heaven to Hell."

According to this Sina article, Cheng cried all night after her disappointing performances on vault and floor. "I cried until my soul had completely left my body," Cheng was quoted as saying.


Cheng Fei after her ordeal at the Olympics (photo: Amy Sancetta/AP Photo)

She felt empty and wasn't sure whether she wanted to go on competing. But her coaches felt she should, to exorcize the demons that were haunting her. Said coach Lu Shanzhen, "We're letting Cheng Fei continue to take part in competitions both at home and abroad to help her to find that competitive spirit, and to dispel the shadow of the mistakes she made at the Beijing Olympics. Unexpectedly [given her lack of systematic training], she's performing better at each competition. Her beam and floor are already close to her peak level."

But Cheng is definitely being granted the opportunity to let her hair down.

According to Sina, the national team coaches allowed the girls to spend a few days on the beach after the national championships, held in the coastal city of Qingdao. The break did Cheng a world of good. She's making a conscious effort now to be more relaxed and open-hearted.

"Now that the Olympics are over, I don't have so many worries," Cheng was quoted as saying in another Sina story. " I'm gradually trying to change myself. I'm allowing myself to be happier and to do things I haven't done before."

Such as treating herself to nice things apparently. Chinese journalists are making much of the fact that Cheng Fei has begun to wear earrings, a sign that she's opening up to the more frivolous aspects of life. But it's not as if Cheng's life is suddenly going to revolve around fun. While she's still focusing mainly on her training, she's also studying at Wuhan University. When the competitive season is over, she hopes to "take the opportunity to study a little, learn a few things."



She's not sure what the future will bring competitionwise. "Right now I'm preparing for the World Cup Final and the National Games. I can't confirm now whether I'll compete at the London Olympics."

She thinks it may be hard to work herself up to such a big competition again. "I'm not sure I can go on training like that. I trained so hard and was in such good shape, yet I still made mistakes. Will I be in the same kind of shape at the next Olympics? And even if I am, who's to say what might happen?"

Nobody can guarantee that Cheng will do well in London, but all the same, the Chinese press is doing its best to persuade her to go on. In one of the two Sina articles from which the above quotes were taken, the journalist ends up reminding readers that Yang Wei (who, like Cheng Fei, hails from Hubei Province) also suffered a great disappointment at the (2004) Olympics, only to rebound in silence and make his dreams come true four years later.

We'll have to wait and see if Cheng can pull off a Yang.

Cheng Fei's Father Becomes a Coach

When Cheng Fei became a star, stories began surfacing about the way her father, Cheng Ligao, had trained her as a young child. Reportedly, Mr. Cheng used to drill her like a soldier, letting her follow him and shouting, "One, two, one, two..."

It appears now that he did more than that. According to this Sina article, Mr. Cheng often accompanied his daughter to the gym, where he soon developed an eye for what she was doing. He also built her an impromptu gym in the house, and at night helped her to do the things with which he knew she had struggled during her workouts, thus effectively becoming her private coach (although he didn't actually hold a coaching degree). Later, when Cheng Fei was enrolled in the national sports program at the far-away Wuhan Institute of Physical Education, her father would often visit her, watching her train for hours on end.

Now he's been granted an opportunity to put all that passive experience into practice. After watching his daughter train for 17 years, 45-year-old Cheng Ligao has become a coach at his daughter's former club, the Wuhan Institute of Physical Education.

"Old Cheng came to the gym almost every month, wanting to help some young kids out with their basics," said Zhao Hanhua, the club's head coach. "After the Beijing Olympics, there was a tremendous increase in the number of kids practicing gymnastics. There weren't enough qualified coaches, so we invited Old Cheng to become a coach."


Cheng Fei in Beijing (photo: Getty Images)

On October 18, 2008, Mr. Cheng received a Level 1 coaching diploma. For 元3000 ($440) per month, Cheng Fei's father will teach small kids the basics of the sport in which his daughter became a star, at a club which has a huge poster of his daughter on the wall to inspire younger gymnasts.

"I've been given a rare opportunity to become a gymnastics coach," said Mr. Cheng. "I've watched my daughter train for a long time. I couldn't just leave gymnastics."

We'll be interested to see the next generation of gymnasts to come out of Wuhan.