This month's tribute is dedicated to Dong Zhen and Dong Fang Xiao. Dong Zhen is an event specialist on still rings and pommel horse. Whether he could make the Olympics, it depends on the team's overall AA ability. However, if he does make it, he will be a strong contender on the rings. Dong Fang Xiao is one of the most powerful gymnasts on the current Chinese team. She was the best AA gymnast on the Chinese team in Tianjin. It is almost guaranteed that she will be part of the squad showing up in Sydney.

DONG Zhen

Name: "dong" is a kind of grass; "zhen" means shaky, shocking, or vibrating.

Birthday: February 2, 1977

Weight/height: 52kg/1.64m

Hometown: Tianjin

Specialty: still rings

1^st SR in 2001 9^th National Games

1^st SR in 2001 Pule Cup

1^st team, 1^st SR in 1999 World Championships

2^nd SR in 1998 University Games

1^st SR in 1998 China Cup

1^st SR in 1998 1^st and 2^nd Nationals

1^st SR in 1998 1^st and 2^nd Nationals

1^st SR in 1997 8^th National Games

1^st SR in 1996 Nationals

March 7, 2000

Chinese Sports Newspaper

Cinderella-- Dong Zhen: The World Champion On the Still Rings

Before the World Championships, most fans were not familiar with Dong Zhen. He became famous by winning the still rings in Tianjin.

When I was on my way to the gymnastic center to see Dong Zhen, I was a bit worried. Usually, most gymnasts gain some "temper" after they become stars. When I met Dong Zhen, he proved me wrong. Dong Zhen has large eyes and clear eyebrows. He is quite a handsome guy.

My mother raised me as a girl

My mother always longed for a girl before I was born. She had smart ways [to deal with the fact that she got a son]. She didn't trim my hair so she could bind plait for me. I wore flowery clothes. When it was Chinese New Year, she even put me in necklace. I looked no different than a girl.

My mother has dexterous hands. She made most of my clothes and shoes. Once she made a coat for me. I had been wearing it for many years, until it didn't fit on me anymore. Now she doesn't made clothes for me, because I grow too fast. By the time she finishes her work, it wouldn't fit on me. I really like the clothes she makes. They aren't any fashions, but they are warm and comfortable.

When I was little, I was very skinny. I had thin bones and thin legs, but with a large head. I didn't eat meat, fish, or eggs. I didn't drink milk. My mother chopped meat into little pieces and cooked them in congee. I wasn't vague on that. I finished the congee but spit all the meat out. My mother was very sad. She always worried that I may die on any day.

My parents could not think of other ways. They decided to send me to gymnastic classes.

My father only slapped once

A journalist asked me what I wanted to say to my parents after I won the still rings. I said: "This is a reward to my parents." I was honest. My parents have sacrificed a lot for me, especially my father.

Because I was so weak, my father retired when I was only 1 to take care of me. When I was 4, my father took me to gymnastic classes. He had practiced gymnastics before. He helped me do exercise at home.

Although he took full care of me, he was a very serious person. I still remember what he always told me: "You need ruler and compass to draw good squares and circles." I didn't break his rules a lot, but every time I broke his rules, it was a big lesson. Once I said "ni" instead of "nin" to my grandpa (both words mean "you", but the latter is used only for elder or respected people). He didn't say anything in front of grandpa. When we were alone, he told me to lie on a chair, then gave me a heavy slap on my back. I was heavily sweating. The mark didn't disappear until two days later. My father never used things to beat me, and he never beat me in front of other people. Whenever he beat me, he only slapped once. My mother was never partial to me when I made a mistake. She never stopped my father when he slapped me.

On the other hand, whenever I got injured, my mother always cried. Once I broke my elbow, my mother could not stop from crying. My father was rather strong: "Don't worry. He is a little boy. He will grow and the injury will be healed." My father is a big man, but a careful man. He recorded all my competitions over the years for me.

My parents are the most ordinary workers. Before my family was not abundant. It is better now, but it seems like they don't know how to enjoy the better financial situation. They don't know how to play cards or majong. Me neither. I don't even know how to play snooker.

Thumbs up from foreigners

I am 22 this year. Of course I feel happy to be a World Champion, although the title came a little bit late. I was lucky to have the chance to compete with the top athletes from all over the world. I had the competition at home. It would be fake if I tell you I was not nervous. So many people from my hometown were watching me. I was very afraid of disappointing them. After I landed on the dismount, I knew I would win.

Since 1996, I have been strong on the rings. I won a gold medal in the 8^th National Games for Tianjin. Last year's University Games, I had obvious advantage [over other competitors], but the judges didn't give me the gold. Some enthusiastic foreigners gave me two thumbs up after I performed. It was very touching. I knew I could be a World Champion.

I am a bit stronger than foreign gymnasts [on rings], but I face more competitions from Chinese specialists. I can't relax. I still need to improve. Hopefully I will be able to compete in the Olympics.

Dong Zhen is now a freshman in the Beijing Sports University. He has not decided what he will major in. I gave him some suggestions. He said, computer has a promising future. He plans to buy a computer, but now there're restrictions on the team of owning a personal computer. Many gymnasts were indulging in playing games. He will get a computer later.

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DONG Fang Xiao

Name: "dong" is a kind of grass; "fang" is a common word for female names in Chinese, which means fragrance; "xiao" means sky, an implication of high and successful level.

Birthday: January 20, 1983

Blood type/weight/height: O/32kg/1.42m

Hometown: Tangshan

Team: Hebei

Coach: Wang Qun Ce, Li Xiao Qing

Strong events: beam, floor

Weak event: bars

Signature skills: DTY (9.9) on vault; layout full (E), straddle full jump (D), wolf full jump (D) on beam; arabian double front on floor (E); Comaneci salto on bars (E)

Favourite food: fruits

Favourite color: blue

Favourite animal: dog

Hobbies: reading, music, drawing

Wish: to be an Olympic Champion

Current status: retired due to hip bone disease; healing injury in Beijing

1^st FX in 2001 9^th National Games (skipped all other competitions due to her bad hip bone disease)

2^nd team, 1^st AA, 1^st FX in 2001 East Asian Games

7^th BB, 3^rd FX in 2000 World Cup

3^rd team, 25^th AA, 7^th VT, 6^th FX in 2000 Olympic Games

3^rd team, 6^th AA, 7^th BB, 4^th tied FX in 1999 World Championships

6^th AA, 1^st VT, 1^st FX in 1999 2^nd Nationals

3^rd AA, 1^st VT, 1^st BB, 1^st FX in 1999 1^st Nationals

1^st VT in 1998 Nationals

October 15, 1999

Chinese Sports Newspaper

Dong Fang Xiao--The Girl Who Had Most Individual Competitions

It was Dong Fang Xiao's first World Championships, but she had good performance. She was the most stable gymnast on the women's team in the preliminary competition, in which she qualified for AA, BB, and FX finals. However, very few people knew her name.

This 16 year old girl came from Tangshan, Hebei. Connoisseurs think that she is currently one of the most hopeful Chinese gymnasts. Her teammates call her "Xiao Xiao." Since she is very introversive, she catches no media attention given that she has had excellent results.

Rarely spoke up in the past

The first time I met Dong Fang Xiao was in last years Tianjin Nationals, where she surprised many and won vault. I found her through her coach: "Dong Fang Xiao, let's have a chat." Afterwards, I knew that chatting with a stranger could be a torture for her. We had been sitting on the mat for almost ten minutes, she didn't say much. Slowly she got used to my personal presentation, then started brief talking about herself. Both her parents live in Tangshan (not far from Beijing). She has an elder brother who is already working. After she joined the Hebei team in Shijiazhuang she rarely meets with her parents. She cannot go home even on Chinese New Year holidays.

Wang Qun Ce told me, everything about Xiao Xiao was fine, except that she was very introversive. Even her coaches did not know what was in her mind. Fortunately she has good mental strength. Very often she even competes better than many experienced gymnasts.

Much more active now

I visit the gymnastics team a lot. I gradually see the change on Dong Fang Xiao. She is becoming more and more active. When I see her in hallway, she would smile to me and say: "Hello, Ge Ge." Although she is still a bit shy, but her politeness is not common in similar age teenagers. The little quiet girl who wore braces gradually disappears from my memory.

Once I went to the dorm to take picture for the young gymnasts. Xiao Xiao looked very amicable. When I asked her to show a pose, she found a big stuff doll and hugged it with a big smile. Out of coincidence I saw a big cartoon kitty in her homework. Her teammates told me that Xiao Xiao loves drawing. She often sketches portrait for her teammates.

Big improvement in three years

Dong Fang Xiao joined the National team in 1996 after the Olympic Games. Many coaches were looking for young gymnasts from training camp in Beijing for local gyms. She was discovered by Wang Qun Ce. Another girl and she were chosen from the Hebei team. She improved the fastest out of all the gymnasts chosen there.

When she joined the National team, Dong Fang Xiao could only do front giant, double tuck dismount, simple kip and cast on the uneven bars. She is the type that doesn't speak much but works very hard. Soon she became noticeable by sweeping four golds in the junior Nationals in Changsha in May of 1998, missing only the gold on her weakest event--the uneven bars. In 1999 she backed up herself as the major member on the team by a series of good competitions.

This year the National Championships was held in Dongguan of Guangdong in May. Again she won three EF golds there. She almost won the AA title as well. On her last event floor, she did not connect two required skills. The judge did not see it and gave her an extra of 0.2 points. Her coach reminded the judge of the missing connection, thus Xiao Xiao lost the 0.2 that she needed for a gold medal. At the end, her teammate Qi Lin Zi got the title. Did the result discourage Xiao Xiao? Wang Qun Ce considered that to be good for her instead: "If she won everything, she would be easily complacent. There are many experienced gymnasts out there who are better than her." Later in Kunming she won floor and vault again. In Samboo, she tied with Ling Jie on beam to win the gold. All these results secured her a place on the Worlds team.

Will be a main member on the Olympic team

Young members like Dong Fang Xiao will be backbone of the Olympic team. There is a long road in front of her. Wang Qun Ce said: "Xiao Xiao's skills still have form problems. She needs to be more polished. Both mental strength and technical level affect a gymnast's performance. Xiao Xiao needs improvement in both area."

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