Despite the high temperature in Beijing, some foreign shooters who just arrived several days ago intensified their training so as to get themselves adapted to the new environment before the Olympic opening ceremony on Aug. 8.
Lucia Liliana Mihalache is among the four shooters from Romania, who arrived in Beijing on Sunday. Still looking tired, the 41-year-old blonde practiced for women's skeet on the shooting range on the western suburb Wednesday morning.
"The time difference still troubles me," she said, adding that the temperature was also something she was trying hard to adapt.
"It is too hot, but I still have many days to prepare. I hope I could get used to it soon," she smiled.
Noting that she liked the shooting range in Beijing generally, Mihalache had some suggestions. "If they could provide some water or orange juice in the rest room for athletes, it could be better."
To the Italian shooters, temperature is not a major problem. "Italy is hot sometimes as well," said Albano Pera, head coach of the Italian shooting team and retired shooter who was runner-up in double trap at the 1996 summer Olympics.
However, "Italy is not that humid," he said.
The team came to Beijing on Saturday. Some shooters began their training on Tuesday, but world champion and Olympic silver medalist Gelisio Deborah was not among them.
"She has been in hospital since Tuesday morning due to high fever," Pera was worried. "We come here for medals. She is quite hopeful to win, but who knows when she would recover."
While the soft-spoken Italian coach was crossing fingers for a better weather on the competition day and quick recovery of his ace shooter, some others seemed more optimistic.
"I like the venue here and the weather won't affect us. After all we are competing in the venue, not running marathon," said Juan Hernandez, head coach of the shooting team from Cuba.
Mihalache said she would just do her best. "The 18 athletes to vie for medals at women's skeet are all very competitive. Everybody could win." With these words, she took her gun and left the range.
(Xinhua News Agency July 31, 2008)