Lang Ping

You can see these familiar Chinese faces in foreign teams, including the coaches of American volleyball and gymnastics teams Lang Ping and Qiao Liang. These coaches are facing intense pressure as they help their team members compete in China. But China says they're unofficial diplomats working to develop sports and friendship between countries.

Cui Dalin, Deputy Director of China's General Administration of Sports, said "The foreign teams' success, with the help of our Chinese coaches... we are happy about it."

Over the past 50 years, China has sent over 25-hundred coaches to over 120 countries. China has also been welcoming foreign coaches. At this year's games, China's competing teams have a total of 38 foreign coaches.

(CCTV August 19, 2008)