Same as that skiier from CA. They think they are going to get HUGE endorsement deals from China. And they might
Same as that skiier from CA. They think they are going to get HUGE endorsement deals from China. And they might
US-born goaltender Jeremy Smith wants you to know that he's proud to be playing ice hockey for China, even if that means picking the puck of out his net a lot more than he is used to.
"I'm here to inspire young Chinese hockey players," Smith told DW after his adopted country's 8-0 drubbing on Thursday at the hands of the United States in its first-ever game at a Winter Olympics. The Chinese side did improve dramatically by the time they faced Germany on Saturday, though, losing just 3-2 to the 2018 silver medalists.
"It's truly an honor. I'm proud to put on the sweater that says China on the front. I'm thankful for the opportunity that Team China has extended to me," said Smith.
With a lack of homegrown talent readily available, the 32-year-old and many of his teammates have been parachuted in to help support the fledgling ice hockey nation. Two thirds of the 25-man squad hail from outside China, with Smith among three Americans who faced off against their compatriots on Thursday. There are also 11 Canadians in the squad and one Russian.
For the foreign-born players, their inclusion represents a once-in-a-lifetime chance to take part in a competition that would normally be out of their reach. For China, it demonstrates how far the country is willing to go when its sporting reputation is on the line.
Mark Dreyer, a Beijing-based Chinese sports expert and author of "Sporting Superpower: An Insider's View on China's Quest to Be the Best," characterizes it as an exercise in saving face.
"It quickly became obvious that Chinese homegrown players were not going to be competitive at the Olympics," he said. "It was looking very, very bad indeed, and so everyone was going to end up with egg on their face. China was going to get massacred on the ice." https://www.dw.com/en/beijing-2022-even-in-defeat-chinas-foreign-players-are-still-smiling-and-still-spinning/a-60748275
US-born goaltender Jeremy Smith wants you to know that he's proud to be playing ice hockey for China, even if that means picking the puck of out his net a lot more than he is used to.
"I'm here to inspire young Chinese hockey players," Smith told DW after his adopted country's 8-0 drubbing on Thursday at the hands of the United States in its first-ever game at a Winter Olympics. The Chinese side did improve dramatically by the time they faced Germany on Saturday, though, losing just 3-2 to the 2018 silver medalists.
"It's truly an honor. I'm proud to put on the sweater that says China on the front. I'm thankful for the opportunity that Team China has extended to me," said Smith.
With a lack of homegrown talent readily available, the 32-year-old and many of his teammates have been parachuted in to help support the fledgling ice hockey nation. Two thirds of the 25-man squad hail from outside China, with Smith among three Americans who faced off against their compatriots on Thursday. There are also 11 Canadians in the squad and one Russian.
For the foreign-born players, their inclusion represents a once-in-a-lifetime chance to take part in a competition that would normally be out of their reach. For China, it demonstrates how far the country is willing to go when its sporting reputation is on the line.
Mark Dreyer, a Beijing-based Chinese sports expert and author of "Sporting Superpower: An Insider's View on China's Quest to Be the Best," characterizes it as an exercise in saving face.
"It quickly became obvious that Chinese homegrown players were not going to be competitive at the Olympics," he said. "It was looking very, very bad indeed, and so everyone was going to end up with egg on their face. China was going to get massacred on the ice."
https://www.dw.com/en/beijing-2022-even-in-defeat-chinas-foreign-players-are-still-smiling-and-still-spinning/a-60748275
(post is archived)