| Chinese Olympics Champions in Madison "We are the Champions!" |
the opportunity to work with community organizations like the Blackhawk Ski Jumping Club and the Madison Speed Skating Club. They
will also do a lot of exploring around Madison and Dane County.
The idea was, in part, formed by UW-Madison kinesiology professor and chair Li Li Ji, who was among the first wave of Chinese
exchange students to UW-Madison himself back in the early 80’s. As the world goes global, he feels that it is important for UW-Madison
to stand out as global campus.
“To collaborate on a global level is increasingly important,” he says. “The university needs to go increasingly global, as well.”
Due to the program, he says, UW-Madison is now a recognized name in China.
“Since they (the Chinese athletes) had departed two days ago, there were over 100 newspaper reports,” Ji says. “We continue to
occupy the front page of a lot of news media in China.”
Ji says that UW-Madison is a perfect place for the athletes to come, not only because of its academic reputation but because of its
friendly nature.
“I think Madison, as a community, is always friendly to the outside world,” he says. “Students and international students are always
part of our campus. I, myself, benefited from the openness of this campus.”
No doubt that Madison’s sports’ reputation will also benefit by hosting some top names in the world of competitive sports. They include
Olympic and world champions who have shown their physical fortitude in a number of different disciplines.
About the athletes:
Luo Xuejuan earned a gold medal in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens in the 100-meter breaststroke and was honored as the first
Chinese torch-bearer for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics torch relay.
Sui Jianshuang is a gymnast best known for winning the silver medal in the rhythmic gymnastics team competition of the 2008 Beijing
Summer Olympics. She is also the gold medal winner of the 2002 Asian Games in the rhythmic gymnastics group event.
Wang Bingyu is a curler who won the bronze medal at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. She won a gold medal in the 2009 World
Curling Championship and at the 2009 Winter World University Games. She was a runner up at the 2008 women’s World Curling
Championship.
Xie Yong is coach of the Chinese national weightlifting training center and the Chinese national men’s weightlifting team. He coached
Zhang Xiangxiang, winner of a gold medal in the 62-kilogram class at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics.
Ren Jie is a world champion and three-time Olympian in shooting. She competed in 10M air pistol at the 2000 Summer Olympics, the
2004 Summer Olympics and the 2008 Summer Olympics. She reached the 2004 final and finished fourth. She is the World Cup champion
of Women's Air Pistol 40 rounds in 2004.
Lu Xiudong is coach of the Chinese national taekwondo team. He coached Chen Zhong, the gold medal winner of women’s 67-kilogram
taekwondo at the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics.
Xu Yaping is a Chinese sprint canoeist who competed in the late 2000s. She finished ninth in the K-4 500-meter event at the 2008
Summer Olympics in Beijing. She is also the World Cup champion of women’s 500 meters four pairs rowing in 2006.
will also do a lot of exploring around Madison and Dane County.
The idea was, in part, formed by UW-Madison kinesiology professor and chair Li Li Ji, who was among the first wave of Chinese
exchange students to UW-Madison himself back in the early 80’s. As the world goes global, he feels that it is important for UW-Madison
to stand out as global campus.
“To collaborate on a global level is increasingly important,” he says. “The university needs to go increasingly global, as well.”
Due to the program, he says, UW-Madison is now a recognized name in China.
“Since they (the Chinese athletes) had departed two days ago, there were over 100 newspaper reports,” Ji says. “We continue to
occupy the front page of a lot of news media in China.”
Ji says that UW-Madison is a perfect place for the athletes to come, not only because of its academic reputation but because of its
friendly nature.
“I think Madison, as a community, is always friendly to the outside world,” he says. “Students and international students are always
part of our campus. I, myself, benefited from the openness of this campus.”
No doubt that Madison’s sports’ reputation will also benefit by hosting some top names in the world of competitive sports. They include
Olympic and world champions who have shown their physical fortitude in a number of different disciplines.
About the athletes:
Luo Xuejuan earned a gold medal in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens in the 100-meter breaststroke and was honored as the first
Chinese torch-bearer for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics torch relay.
Sui Jianshuang is a gymnast best known for winning the silver medal in the rhythmic gymnastics team competition of the 2008 Beijing
Summer Olympics. She is also the gold medal winner of the 2002 Asian Games in the rhythmic gymnastics group event.
Wang Bingyu is a curler who won the bronze medal at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. She won a gold medal in the 2009 World
Curling Championship and at the 2009 Winter World University Games. She was a runner up at the 2008 women’s World Curling
Championship.
Xie Yong is coach of the Chinese national weightlifting training center and the Chinese national men’s weightlifting team. He coached
Zhang Xiangxiang, winner of a gold medal in the 62-kilogram class at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics.
Ren Jie is a world champion and three-time Olympian in shooting. She competed in 10M air pistol at the 2000 Summer Olympics, the
2004 Summer Olympics and the 2008 Summer Olympics. She reached the 2004 final and finished fourth. She is the World Cup champion
of Women's Air Pistol 40 rounds in 2004.
Lu Xiudong is coach of the Chinese national taekwondo team. He coached Chen Zhong, the gold medal winner of women’s 67-kilogram
taekwondo at the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics.
Xu Yaping is a Chinese sprint canoeist who competed in the late 2000s. She finished ninth in the K-4 500-meter event at the 2008
Summer Olympics in Beijing. She is also the World Cup champion of women’s 500 meters four pairs rowing in 2006.
Laura Salinger is
a freelance
writer based in
Madison, Wis.
a freelance
writer based in
Madison, Wis.
By Laura Salinger
They are national heroes of their country and now
some of them will be UW-Madison guests for a semester.
They are what UW-Madison as dubbed “China’s
Champions” and they arrived just recently on July 23.
This unprecedented collaboration was first announced
by UW-Madison Chancellor Biddy Martin and Beijing
University of Sport (BUS) officials during a meeting in
Beijing on March 27.
The program, aptly named the University of Wisconsin-
Madison’s Chinese Champions program, brought over
nine elite athletes (two who are coaches) to live and
study on the UW-Madison campus until Dec. 15 as part of
a unique exchange with BUS. BUS is considered to be at
the forefront in the world of sports, physical education,
and exercise science.
Program participants will take part in seminars in
English as a Second Language and kinesiology, as well
as take part in internships focused on training, coaching
and events management. Aside from working with UW-
Madison’s athletic department, they will also have
They are national heroes of their country and now
some of them will be UW-Madison guests for a semester.
They are what UW-Madison as dubbed “China’s
Champions” and they arrived just recently on July 23.
This unprecedented collaboration was first announced
by UW-Madison Chancellor Biddy Martin and Beijing
University of Sport (BUS) officials during a meeting in
Beijing on March 27.
The program, aptly named the University of Wisconsin-
Madison’s Chinese Champions program, brought over
nine elite athletes (two who are coaches) to live and
study on the UW-Madison campus until Dec. 15 as part of
a unique exchange with BUS. BUS is considered to be at
the forefront in the world of sports, physical education,
and exercise science.
Program participants will take part in seminars in
English as a Second Language and kinesiology, as well
as take part in internships focused on training, coaching
and events management. Aside from working with UW-
Madison’s athletic department, they will also have
Athletes and coaches from China will be in Madison to live and study at UW
until December 15, under the program "Chinese Champions."
until December 15, under the program "Chinese Champions."