By Li Han
Staff Writer of the Tsinghua News Center
2005 was a spectacular year for the Tsinghua crew team, bringing first-place prizes in important matches such as the 2005 First China University Open and the Tsinghua vs. Cambridge International Boat Race. Representing China, the members of the team also attended the 11th Asian championship held in India and took the gold medal in the 2,000m men’s eight-oars with coxswain event.
Whenever they are gathered on the winner’s platform to accept trophies and cups and medals, the members of the team, surrounded by flowers and flashbulbs, are always the focus of attention. Such adulation is in stark contrast to their daily life on campus as ordinary students, who must balance a grueling training schedule with the responsibilities of their academic course loads.
And as the teammates prepare for numerous important rowing events of 2006, perhaps the biggest benefit of their no pain-no gain approach to the sport becomes clear: it bonds them like brothers.
One of the world’s oldest sports, rowing combines strength and technical skills, and possesses an aesthetic quality that fans enjoy. Gentlemen began competing in 1829 with the Oxford-Cambridge race, and now the Yale-Harvard race is an annual favorite.
Established in June of 1999, the Tsinghua crew team aims at developing university physical education and promoting cultural exchanges both at home and abroad. Currently, the team consists of about 20 players, one coxswain and two coaches.
“We recruit new players each year. High school students who are interested in rowing and can pass the test have the chance to become a member of our team,” said crew team coach Zhao Weixing. The test is composed of running, strength training, and a workout on the indoor rowing machine. Potential crew team members must also pass the college entrance examination and are admitted by the university.
As university students, their training time is much shorter than professional players, but they maintain a daily training routine.
“We usually get up at 5:30 in the morning to do the morning exercise,” said Zhao Yu, a boy from the Department of Economics and Management and captain of the team. “Then, we will rush to class,” he added smiling.
Training sessions are held every day from 2-5 p.m. The training plan is well designed, with intensive workouts about three times weekly.
“The hard, strict training helps us get good results in the tournaments and meanwhile gives us strength of character, which is really good for our training and future study and work,” Zhao Yu said.
Additionally, they have regular water training in the Kunyu River. “Water training is important for our rowing. We need to cultivate a good sense of rowing boat on the water,” said Zhao. “It’s a great pleasure to slide the boat in the river when there is no wind and the setting sun is sparkling on the surface of the water. You can only hear the sound of the oars lapping against the water.”
Generally, there are two intense training periods each year, in winter (January to April) and summer (July to September). At these times, the team travels to places such as Guangzhou, Zhejiang, and Shanghai to practice.
With so much time spent on preparation and participating in various tournaments both at home and abroad, the crew team members have much less holiday-time than other students.
“Since we have to train, we don’t have as many holidays as other students, but we have learned more than that we gave up,” said Tang Baibing, a former team captain. He pointed out that he has learned much from the sport. “Rowing has taught me to be cooperative in my work and life, and I have made many good friends here.”
“Because we always train together, we are teammates and also good friends. We always encourage each other in the competitions,” Zhao Yu said.
The boys also have very good relations with their coaches, Zhao Weixing and Li Ronghua, the husband-and-wife team renowned throughout China for their instruction of rowing.
“They are very strict with us when we have the training, then later on, they are just like our parents,” said team member Liu Jingjian, a student from the Department of Economics and Management.
“We can share both sadness and happiness with our coaches,” Zhao Yu added. “Being with them is like being with family.”
Li Ronghua, the winner of numerous World Championship gold, silver and bronze medals, and one of China’s top rowing coaches, came to Tsinghua together with her husband in 2000 as head coaches of the Tsinghua Crew Team.
“I like the university atmosphere here and it is very nice to be with the students,” the coach said. “They are attentive, bright and so likeable.”
As the winter holiday is approaching, the winter training session is foremost in the minds of crew team members, who are ready to prepare for several important tournaments in 2006.
“They need to challenge their own limits, which is where the charm of rowing lies,” Li said. She also noted that teamwork and the ability to keep a steady head -- life skills the students are developing day-by-day -- are vital for success in rowing.
“The students will learn to be cooperative as members of the crew team, and this will make them stronger when facing difficulties in the future,” Coach Li said.
