Why do the Chinese care so much about the Olympics?

Question

I saw a news article about the Chinese and how they will take young children out of their homes and train them to become Olympic athletes. These children only get to see their families a few times a year.

All of this training and being away from your family for something that only happens every four years seems a bit odd. What do the Chinese gain from this? I know that the USSR used to do this as well. I am just curious as to why.

Answer 1

They are hosting it, and they've never hosted it before. I think they will also gain respect...

Answer 2

First of all, I have doubts on that news story, along with lots of false and baseless accusations from the media.  The only way to find out is to go there and see things for yourself.

85% of surveyed Chinese from a Western company was reported to be happy with how their country is going.  Less than 30% Americans are happy.  Yet Americans seem to think they can give the Chinese advice and criticism on their society.

If any other culture in the world had the same the depth, glory, and contributions to the world like the Chinese, then you would understand why they care so much.  And why they dismiss any other culture as lesser ones.

Answer 3

If your children were chosen for the national team, you have just won the lottery. If they don't make it to the national level, you're pretty much broke.

Answer 4

It's not only for the Olympics, it's also for the World Championships and the like. It's a chance for China to prove itself. Also, most of these kids come from families that are pretty poor and the parents need them to do this. Like Cheng Fei is the sole breadwinner of her family.

Answer 5

Same reason why we care so much about it. Them taking the children very youung to become athletes is like us Hating to lose. Everyone kows the US dreads to lose and thats what i like about us. Go US.

Answer 6

I think the children would be more disciplined and concentrated if they are staying in Training School.

Parents are allowed to visit their children but just becoz they are not very rich, they can't afford to see them weekly or monthly. Also, transportation is an issue too, unlike US, taking domestic flight across cities. Chinese are more likely to take train which quite time consuming. If parents need to work very hard to earn their living and support  the kid's training. Its a kinda luxury to bring them home or visit them often.

Not only China, all other countries involved do care Olympics. Otherwise why we discuss so much here and have coverage on TV & Newspaper; if our country not into it?

Answer 7

Because the image of perfection is everything.  Flaws are not acceptable.  Does the replacement of the little girl during the opening ceremony say much?

Answer 8

Care?, No these people don't care about the Olympics I had thought of asking a similar question myself. But I was going to ask why are the Chinese so sadistic when it came to the Olympics. It's like you say they take these kids, making sure they're the best from feild of course. Then they train them to the level of what of an elite and experience U.S. Olympian goes through. Tedious repetition over and over until they their routines are perfect. Why do you think they won so many medals this year. Harsh almost unrealistic training, all for what so they can tear down some of the most poorest neighborhoods in attempt to show the world this so called "change"of the Chinese. You see a few western influences in china and all of sudden you forget about their maniacal leaders trying to silently destroy everything in their path.

China is still that communist country that wouldn't hesitate at taking a person's rights. They're still that imperialistic society where everything is controled by their goverment, to think that the chinese could care about change is laughable... then again are the chinese "people" really to blame?.

Answer 9

In these olympics where Chinese are hosts, they would lose face according to their culture if they didn't win. Face is really important to them.

Answer 10

They are hosting it and also (this is a thought) because they want to win and feel better than the us (the united states) but we have the most gold medals :)

By the way that last part is opinion  

Answer 11

they care ALOT about winning the olympics. they want to win the gold and gloat about it and say that we have no talent what so ever. but we can win. just like them (exept they want something else) we want ryan hall to win. big bear would go crazy. we would have a big parade and party i bet. he would be the first person from big bear to ever compete! oh and its not right for parents in china to take their young ones to train. if they want to then fine but they are just kids. u dont see that happening in america do u? well i hope i helped to anser your question

Answer 12

First of all,since this year's Olympics are being held in their country,they really want to show how good they are.And if they lose,it'll seem a much bigger loss then usual because they are in their counrty.

As for the taking children from their homes things,I guess they just want to win so badly,that they are willing to take anyone in.

Their mission:Taking all the gold.

Answer 13

IF I TRAINED THAT MUCH AND GOT A GOLD MEDAL, I WOULD GLOAT IN FRONT OF UR SORE LOSING FACE

Answer 14

I am Chinese so I would know. Chinese, by nature, are perfectionists. They want to make sure that every aspect of everyone of the athlete's skills are perfect. This perfectionism is a good quality, though, because the end result is polished and far better than anything else out there.

So, don't be rude (that's in reference to some of the other answers) about a culture about which you understand nothing.  

Answer 15

They want to have people talking about their Olympic success rather than all their other failures.

Answer 16

The same reason the Americans do.

Stop hating on the Chinese and the Jamaicans, and enjoy YOUR COUNTRY's medals!

Answer 17

national pride

Answer 18

They are into propaganda and making the rest of the world believe they are something special.

They care about not looking bad, like this situation:

BEIJING (AP)—Two elderly Chinese women who applied to hold a protest during the Olympics were ordered to spend a year in a labor camp, a relative said Wednesday. Police later squelched a pro-Tibet demonstration.

The women were still at home three days after being officially notified they would have to serve a yearlong term of reeducation through labor, but were under surveillance by a government-backed neighborhood group, said Li Xuehui, the son of one of the women.

Li said no cause was given for the order to imprison his 79-year-old mother, Wu Dianyuan, and her neighbor Wang Xiuying, 77.

“Wang Xiuying is almost blind and disabled. What sort of re-education through labor can she serve?” Li said in a telephone interview. “But they can also be taken away at any time.”