A spate of recent pregnancies explains why China's shooters have taken a small step backwards in Guangzhou compared to their success at the previous Asiad, said team head coach Wang Yifu.

China has won 15 gold medals from the pistol and rifle events, seven fewer than it picked up at the Doha Asian Games four years ago.

"Our top shooters are having, or have just had, their babies," said Wang. "It would be helpful if they were here to inspire the young shooters."

Du Li, an elite rifle shooter who won the gold medal at the 2004 Athens and 2008 Beijing Olympics, had a baby boy in August. Chen Ying, a pistol shooter who also won gold in Beijing, is busy raising her one-year-old girl.

Some of the top shooters managed to take part in the games, but they found it was hard to concentrate. Beijing Olympic champion Guo Wenjun, who is planning her wedding, did not win a medal in her two individual events.

Meanwhile, fellow Beijing Olympic gold medalist Pang Wei was clearly distracted by his newborn baby - Pang is married to Du - and also left the games empty-handed.

The absence of China's veteran shooters has heaped the pressure on its young guns, Wang said. Some of them could not fall asleep before the day of the competition.

"I expected them to be nervous, but I didn't expect it to be that serious," Wang said.

China Daily

(China Daily 11/20/2010)