Top Chinese women are back in training

THE double world record holder Wang Junxia has rescinded a decision to retire and is instead training in secret for the Atlanta Olympics, the official Hainan Daily reported yesterday.

The newspaper said Wang and former world 1,500 metres champion Liu Dong were in training at a base outside the central city of Nanjing under six coaches headed by Mao Dezhen.

Wang, who demolished the world 3,000 and 10,000 metres record in 1993, left coach Ma Junren's "Ma Family Army" the following year. She complained that Ma's training regimen was tyrannical and included beatings and also alleged that Ma had misappropriated the team's rewards, including luxury cars and cash prizes.

"Wang Junxia had already decided to retire, but under Mao's persuasion she has long since rediscovered her dedication," the newspaper said. "In order to expedite her recovery the team has arranged to have a doctor especially for her." Last October Wang won the 10,000 metres in China's Urban Game's but her time was nearly two minutes outside her 1993 world record. She also lost to her estranged coach's new prodigy, 16 year old Jiang Bo, in the 5,000.

Ma's team, which has set up a high altitude training base in southwestern Yuanan province, won the Beijing International Relay Marathon on March 2nd with Jiang running one of the legs.

The newspaper said Wang's rebel team had moved to its Nanjing base on December 1st with training schedules of 19 hours a day. Mao has ordered a news blackout but he and Wang revealed some training details to the Hainan Daily.

"Wang Junxia said that no matter what difficulties she faces she will not succumb to pressure and is putting her entire body and heart into her training," it said.

"Liu Dong has adopted a dashing hairstyle and is known as Little Crewcut," the paper added. "Despite a foot injury she has not let up a bit, training with extraordinary sincerity." Liu had been the first Ma Army member to defect, clashing with coach Ma in mid 1994 for refusing to cut her hair and dump her boyfriend.

Wang won the 10,000 metres at the 1993 Stuttgart world championships then slashed 42 seconds from the world record a month later at China's national games.

She destroyed the 3,000 metres world mark in the same week and won the World Cup marathon a month later in Spain. Liu Dong won the 1,500 metres in Stuttgart, relegating Sonia O'Sullivan to second place.

A third Ma Army team mate, Qu Yunxia, won the 3,000 metres world championship at Stuttgart (in which O'Sullivan was fourth) and holds the 1,500 metres world record. She has remained loyal to Ma but has lost her form.

The newspaper said spirits were high in Wang's camp but supplies of cash were low. "Due to a lack of funds, the team has only one motorcycle. The 69 year old Mao Dezhen pedals along on a mountain bicycle as he follows his athletes on their training runs," it said.