China, buoyed by carrying off a first men's Olympic fencing gold medal at the Beijing Games, are determined to carry on that success, as shown by some battling showings at the world championships in Antalya.
At the age of 25, Zhong Man was feted back home as a hero following his Olympic title in front of the home fans. The women had beaten the men to the top spot on the podium when Luan Jujie bagged Asia's first foil success at the Los Angeles Games in 1984.
Zhong Man owes much of his success to French coach Christian Bauer.
The Chinese enticed Bauer over back in 2006 in the run-up to Beijing and he promptly delivered - even if he had expected 2004 silver medalist Tan Xue to be the man to go that one step further.
"Just after the Games I signed on for another four years, I am proud as I am the only foreigner in any sport to have had his contract renewed," says Bauer.
Now he has another target - another gold in London in three years time.
Bauer's record suggests he is well capable of delivering again. After many years honing his trade in France, one of the world's top fencing nations, he moved on to Italy, where he coached among others Aldo Montano, who landed the individual sabre title at the 2004 Athens Games.
"The Chinese Federation believed they were not yet ready to go it alone. They were not sure how to develop and organise things on their own and structure their competitions. Their system is not adapted to the highest level.
"Theirs is a very short term system. They need recognition so I am passing onto them what they must do for long term success," says Bauer.
Bauer works at a national centre in Beijing where more than 4000 fencers have registered out of some 10,000 non-amateurs nationwide. Fencing is for now an elitist sport in China.
But Bauer regards the country as a breeding ground for future champions, even if they are comparative late starters.
"The Chinese start fencing at 14 whereas the Europeans begin at seven and four years later they are junior world champions. They are starting to step it up as they are good and in all respects," the Frenchman adds.
Bauer, the only non-Chinese coach in the country, has to convince the Chinese to carry on developing in the sport beyond the age of 25, when they traditionally give up competition, whereas this is the age when participants are just hitting their peak.
Further French influence on the Chinese comes from another Frenchman, Daniel Levavasseur, who has helped the squad on an occasional basis, and who has mentored among others 1996 French epee champion Laura Flessel.
China have an up and coming epee hope in the shape of Na Li, silver medalist at the 2007 world championships, as well as Olympic silver medalist Wang Lei.
China's own Wang Haibin is the main man for coaching sabre hopefuls, having spent four years learning the trade in France. His men's team won a 2004 Olympic silver.
"They are aggressive in competition. That is new. They express themselves and are not afraid," said Bauer approvingly.
Copyright 2009 AFP Global Edition
