Few stars can rise and fall as quickly as Chinese athletes. One moment they are heroes being cheered on by hordes of adoring fans, the next they can be forgotten has-beens struggling to earn a living.
Yet, the traditional culture of sportsmen and women being trained in body and not in mind is rapidly changing, with education now a top priority.
Beyond projects being run by some of the country?s best universities to help up-and-comers, 13 retired champions – most of whom are still in their 20s – have now received scholarships to colleges in the United States and Britain.
The program, which is jointly sponsored by the Chinese government and foreign universities, is aimed at giving elite sportsmen and women a chance to nurture challenging and fruitful post-athletic careers, officials at Beijing Sports University said.Four of the athletes will leave for Indiana University this month, while nine others began their studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in July.