BEIJING - Liang Chaw, coach of the U.S. women's gymnastics team, said on Wednesday that he felt welcomed in his home city Beijing while leading the U.S. side competing in the Olympic Games.
Shawn Johnson of the U.S. (R) is congratulated by her coach Liang Chow after the women's individual all-around artistic gymnastics final at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games August 15, 2008. [Agencies] |
Repeatedly questioned whether he felt strange as a Chinese guiding the American team to compete against China, Chaw told a press conference that he "never felt that way".
"I feel very comfortable coming back to my home city. I feel like I'm warmly welcomed to come back," he said, "representing the U.S., and as the head coach of the women's team, I feel honored."
"I feel great about the accomplishment for the athletes and for me. It's been 14 years I haven't been here. It's definitely a great honor to come back as the head coach of the U.S. women's team. I'm really excited," added Chaw, who is also the personal coach to new beam Olympic champion Shawn Johnson.
The American women were deemed as biggest opponents to the hosts, who were looking to a medal haul to erase memories of their Athens failure.
While the Chinese women were crowned team's event and uneven bars, the Americans harvested eight medals including two golds thanks to Nastia Liukin and Johnson, who also struck two silvers in all-around and floor.
Chaw, who was born in Beijing but moved to the U.S. in 1994, said that Johnson and other U.S. gymnasts got along with the Chinese.
"Their (the Chinese) head coach is a good friend of mine. Shawn and many of the American kids and the Chinese gymnasts are developing very good relations through this Games, which is the spirit of the Olympics," he said.
Both Chaw and Johnson hugged China's Cheng Fei after she tumbled on floor on Sunday's competition.
"We're competitors, but Shawn and Cheng Fei are good friends personally. I hope everybody can perform their bests. I wanted to give her a little comfort because she already felt bad," said Chaw.
Johnson also said that she was happy with the Chinese team and got along with Cheng in particular.
"I really got fun with the Chinese team. I was always happy. It has a lot to do with Chaw. Of course there's communication barrier, but you can tell the body language. To the few words we did now, we care about each other and we want the best for each other. "
"Me and Cheng Fei get along really good. After the competition, she actually gave me a congratulation gift, which meant a lot to me and really touched my heart," Johnson said.
There have been a couple of Chaw-like cases in the Games that athletes or coaches who were originally from China now represent other countries competing in Beijing.
Lang Ping, a heroine of China's sports in the 80s last century, are the head coach of the U.S. women's volleyball squad, who beat the Chinese earlier in the group stage.
The table tennis events are dominated by Chinese and "Chinese overseas armies", a term which aroused controversy in the past decade but is rarely mentioned now in China.
Chaw thought that the Chinese spectators are open-minded and very friendly.
"People here in Beijing are wonderful, very helpful. I never saw a person here being hostile to me. I'm happy to be back and people in my home town will know what I've achieved," he said.
"I think sport goes beyond boundaries. It doesn't belong to someone, some country, but belongs to everybody. No matter where I have some accomplishment, I've contributed to the sport of gymnastics."
Chaw was a key member of the Chinese gymnastics team in the 1980s, competing for China in the Asian Games and World Cup events.