BEIJING, May 21 - Asian Games 100 metres hurdles champion Liu Jing and 19 other Olympic-bound Chinese athletes who were in Sichuan when last week's earthquake struck are unharmed, Xinhua news agency reported on Wednesday.
Liu JIng celebrates her victory at women's 100-meter hurdles in Doha Asian Games in this file photo taken on December 10, 2006. [Xinhua] |
Sichuan native Liu, who won the women's hurdles sprint in Doha in 2006, was training with the other athletes in the Western province.
"They are all safe," said Zhu Ling, director of Sichuan's sports bureau was quoted as saying.
Zhu said none of the athletes in the provincial team had been harmed either, although some had lost family members.
"All of the provincial-level athletes were away from the worst-hit areas and they made quick escape from the buildings when the disaster happened," he said.
"Most athletes lived in low-rise buildings and they were either taking a nap or preparing for the afternoon session of training at the moment of the earthquake."
Sporting infrastructure in the western province fared less well in the quake and ensuing aftershocks, according to Zhu.
A newly-built gymnasium, a swimming pool and a sports stadium were completely destroyed, while several other facilities were badly damaged or made unsafe by the violent tremors.
Former Olympic champions Deng Yaping and Gao Min, another native of Sichuan, were in Mianyang on Wednesday, raising morale among the children of the city, which is close to the epicentre of the quake.
The Beijing Olympics open on August 8.
