Mike: the June 1/09 11:03 comment gets me wondering how the Chinese have adapted/evolved their program over time as it sounds a bit different than a National level Chinese coach I know who emigrated about 12 to 15 years ago, though it also sounds familiar in many ways. Perhaps becoming more specialized in the areas they saw/see as mostly likely to have success?
I always marvel when he talks about the amount of education he went through, especially the hours involved. Though I think he would say he is primarily a throws coach, believe me he is more than competent in vertical jumps (though I have never seen him near a vault pit), as well as sprints and hurdles. From him it sounds like a full apprenticeship style of teaching “new” coaches where he literally spent hundreds of hours learning to coach each throw but even the “lesser” events he knows were covered in great depth in class but also more practically in the field.
If I may, how did you get the opportunity for what I trust was a very enjoyable trip? Or have the Chinese become that much more open to foreigners? Ask partially as when the coach mentioned above talked of “emigrating”, it sounds like it was a bit of an escape from a closed society.