It is very easy to recognize the two coaches of the Chinese
biathlon and cross-country teams - Klaus Siebert and Per-Erik
Ronnestrand.
Even though they have been in China for a relatively short
amount of time, the foreign coaches have shown their ability to
improve their teams at the ongoing Sixth Asian Winter Games at
Beidahu ski resort, northeast China's Jilin Province.
On the first day of competition, veteran biathlete Liu Xianying
led a strong Chinese charge for a clean sweep of the medals in the
women's 7.5km sprint.
Her compatriot Kong Yingchao took the silver medal, 4.09 seconds
behind, while youngster Dong Xue was third 52.91 seconds further
back. Another Chinese, Yin Qiao, finished seventh.
On the men's side, Zhang Chengye won silver with 29 minutes
43.33 seconds, following Japan's Isa Hidenori. Another Chinese
skier Zhang Qing finished third, 53.18 seconds behind the
winner.
"The foreign coach has brought us techniques that we have never
seen before," said gold medalist Liu.
Invited to China by the Skiing Department of China's Winter
Sports Administrative Center, German Siebert has been working with
the biathlon team for about five months. Although it is still early
days, the athletes are beginning to accept his methods.
"Although the foreign coach has only been with us a short time,
we have already adjusted ourselves to him," said silver medalist
Kong.
"We have improved much in this season's World Cup series, so his
contribution is obvious."
The Chinese women enjoyed a superb run to finish third in the
relay competition of the biathlon World Cup in Hochfilzen, Austria,
last year, with a particular highlight being their hugely improved
shooting.
As a biathlete Siebert won a relay silver medal for East Germany
at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York.
He believes his experience can help the Chinese team a lot.
"I have been engaged in biathlon for 25-26 years. It's enough to
bring good things," he said. "Another thing I brought is the change
in the training system."
The coach praised his team for their performances since he took
over, particularly the women.
"The women's team not only has the team advantage in the Asian
Games. They did well before in the World Cup. For the men, we need
a little bit more time," Siebert said.
"I think we have a good basis for the women's team. For the men,
it's not a way from today to tomorrow. I think we need two
years."
Despite only signing a two-year contract, Siebert has already
set his eyes on the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games.
"It's very interesting to coach here. I think I will win with
the Chinese team," Siebert smiled.
"For the 2010 Games, it's a long way. We need a lot of work. The
women's team is very young. For the men, it's a young team as well.
They must go step by step. I hope to have a longer partnership with
the team."
Unlike Siebert, the Swede Ronnestrand has worked with his
cross-country team for almost two years.
He admitted that he had brought new training methods to the
team.
"Our training is a little bit different from their training
before. Cross-country (skiers) need to train a lot. So, more high
speed training is important," said Ronnestrand, who coached the
Swedish national team for several years.
With his contract also due to expire next year, the Swede said
he was keen to stay on longer.
"I have been the head coach for the Swedish team for several
years. I want to do something different. So I came to China," he
said. "I like it a lot. I look forward to continuing with the
team."
The cross-country competition will start from today with women's
and men's sprint events, and Ronnestrand is confident about his
team's chances.
"Hopefully we get medals," he said. "If we have a gold medal,
everything is 100 percent perfect."
The team has made great progress since Ronnestrand took the
job.
In the women's team, Wang Chunli captured all women's titles in
the Far East Cup of the International Ski Federation and Vasaloppet
China 50km ski race earlier this month in Changchun, Li Geliang was
beaten into second by Olympic champion Stanislav Rezac by just 10
seconds in two hours 19 minutes and 10 seconds at Vasaloppet
China.
"The foreign coaches have brought us new training concepts and
methods, which have helped us improve a lot," said Gao Xuedong,
China's top ski official.
"They also combined their methods with our traditional ones. We
have gained much from that."
(China Daily January 30, 2007)