Mandarin House Introduces the Chinese Olympic Training Program

The Olympics are highly important to national pride and morale, so China’s government plays a central role in selecting and training the athletes. 

Every town and province in China has athletic centers which identify children based on physical characteristics, starting as young as 5. The very best of these athletes finish their training at one of China’s 150 national sports centers. From these national sports centers come the country’s finest athletes and Olympic hopefuls.

Generally speaking, China’s government plays a much stronger role than other countries in cultivating its athletic talent pool. Whereas other countries’ athletes are driven to compete by personal interest and fulfillment, China’s young women and men often participate to bring honor to their family and country. They dedicate the first quarter of their lives to achieving excellence in a single sport, while time spent with family and education are secondary considerations.

Similar to other types of Chinese development over the past 30 years, Chinese athletic programs have developed very quickly with strong government support. Now the focus is broadening so that athletics and athletes are better integrated with society at large.