Given its lack of history in skiing, China, the Summer Olympic powerhouse, hopes foreign coaches will help deliver results in snow events, such as biathlon and cross country skiing.

"Since China has only about 20 years' history in the biathlon, we should invite high-level coaches from strong countries like Germany, Norway and Russia, to help us," said Gao Xuedong, team leader of the Chinese biathlon team for the 2006 Turin Winter Olympic Games.

Taking part in the Winter Olympic Games from the 1980 Lake Placid Winter Games, the best result for the Chinese biathlon team in the Olympics was the fifth position finishing by Yu Shumei in the women's 7.5km race at the 1998 Nagano Games.

Due to a series of good results gained during the 2004/05 season, the team had big hopes for the Turin Games.

China's biathlon team members won six runners-up titles in the 2004/05 World Cup series and two silver medals in the 2005 World Championships in Hochfilzne, Austria.

This meant Chinese skiers were recognized as a top level group , but they failed to repeat the glory in Turin.

In the Turin Games, Liu Xianying finished ninth in the women's 10km pursuit, the highest ranking for Chinese skiers among the three events they took part in so far.

Poor shooting stopped their winning paces.

In the women's 15km individual competition, Liu, the most competitive biathlete in the Chinese team, missed five shots and ranked only 24th among 82.

Her teammates Kong Yingchao and Yin Qiao finished 26th and 32nd respectively, loosing three and four targets respectively.

"In foreign countries, there are different coaches for skiing and shooting, but we only have one," Gao said. "If we want out biathlon to develop, these coaches with advanced training methods are necessary."

Starting in the sport less than 30 years ago, China, which has only about 30 biathletes, has achieved remarkable results within this short period. Gao attributed the team's achievements last season to training abroad.

In what started as a cooperation programme with the Vuokatti Sports Institute, a top-notch institute in Finland, in 2003, the team has travelled to Voukatti, a small city in northern Finland, every year to hone skills before the competition season opens in November.

"The training in Finland developed a lot of our skiing skills," said Gao. "But that short period of training is not enough. Inviting a foreign coach to stay with us for a long period of time is the key way for us to understand their real concepts in training."

China has already seen satisfactory results from a foreign coach in cross country skiing.

With a Swedish coach hired six months ago, the Chinese cross country skiing team achieved its best results at the Turin Games.

In the women's 15km pursuit, Wang Chunli registered China's best ever record in the Olympics, coming in 21st place. In the women's 10km classical cross country skiing, Wang finished 18th, also the best result for China in this discipline.

"We are very satisfied with the results in cross country skiing," said Gao, also the director of the skiing department of the Chinese Winter Sports Administrative Centre.

"The foreign coach has taught us a lot, not only in skiing skills but also in some detailed aspects, such as preparation of the equipment."

The coach, Per-Erik Ronnestrand, former head coach of the Swedish team, is also confident of the team's future.

"They are improving in all races. I see that in this Olympics they have learned a lot," said Ronnestrand.

"The Chinese team is very young while some other teams have very old skiers. It's also possible for China to win an Olympic medal if they are starting to go out to a lot of competitions. Their training is perfect, and after two or three years China will have top skiers also."

With the optimistic results achieved at the Turin Games, the decision of engaging foreign coaches has been proved right.

"We will be sure to stick to the policy of involving foreign coaches in the cross country events. That seems to be the only way for China to improve its level," Gao said firmly.

"So will it be in the biathlon team. I believe that if we have high-level coaches and more attention from the sports administrations, our skiing events will improve much in the future."

(China Daily February 23, 2006)