Chinese crews have been craving for an Olympic gold and the fine performance in some disciplines of the rowing events at the 10th National Games have proved their ambitions to be realistic.

"We must win a rowing gold at the Beijing Olympics 2008. We do not merely dream for the breakthrough, and instead it's a must," said Liu Aijie, vice president of the Chinese Water Events Administration who is in charge of rowing.

"We had the strength in some disciplines and that may lead to our success in 2008. For example, in women's lightweight double sculls and women's eight we have experienced rowers who have shown their class in the World Championships and the World Cup as well."

Liu's ambition was echoed by the fine results of those events at the ongoing National Games. Zhejiang female crews seemed to be the possible key to open the blank for Chinese. With national team rowers Yan Shimin and Xu Dongxiang, Zhejiang had the say in women's lightweight events nationwide and produced some good results.

Zhejiang finished in seven minutes and 0.32 second to win women 's lightweight double sculls, and they got more excellent results at women's lightweight quadruple sculls with 6:28.05. The world best of 6:29.55 was produced by Australian crews in 2002.

"We have been training really hard in the past few years. And I hope we can earn a gold in 2008 with my teammates." said Zhejiang ace rower Yan Shimin, who won a gold for China in women's lightweight single sculls of the Rowing World Cup in England this May.

Liu Aijie told reporters that the top four female rowers of the lightweight disciplines at the national games had the class to enter the national team, and they can pin hopes on these good rowers with hidden potentials.

Although traditional powerhouse Guangdong attracted most of the limelight at the national games with four men's events golds under their belts.

Jiangxi dominated the women's sculls events with three golds, but the final results reflect that they still have a long way to go to get close with world top level.

Another important fact that can't be neglected at this year's games is that six teams have signed experienced foreign coaches, a phenomenon which was rarely seen in Chinese rowing area.

Hebei invited China's national coach Igor Grinko, former US rowing heroic coach who led them to second place at the Athens 2004, to train their rowers. The victory in men's single sculls for Hebei illustrates the changes that Igor has brought to the Hebei crews. And most of the Chinese rowers or coaches told reporters that they have learned a lot from those foreigners.

"More than ten foreign coaches have expressed their will of heading the Chinese national team to us. They are all interested in this position," revealed Liu Aijie.

To convert strenuous efforts, sweats and bloods into golds, to turn hidden powers, potentials and possibilities into positive reality, Chinese rowers need to be resolved, hard-working and willing to learn.

Anyway, the qualified seeds have been sown and the bright currents are surging toward 2008.

Source: Xinhua