From left, Chao Man Hou, Ying Jingli, Erica Vong Man Wai and Lei On Kei
Following the impressive results of Macau swimmer Chao Man Hou in the National Student Games last month, the public has paid more attention to local swimmers and their forthcoming performance in the Asian Games, which will officially open on Friday in the South Korean city of Incheon.
The Times has spoken to three swimmers who will represent Macau in the Asian Games. They admitted that it will be a very tough fight for them, competing against various elite athletes from other Asian countries and regions.
Their coach, Ying Jingli, also suggested that her anticipation was not due to her want for her swimmers to fight for medals. Rather, she would be satisfied if they could simply make it to the final.
“My expectation (…) is [for them] to strive to make it into the first eight and enter the final. This is, in fact, our common goal, which is very clear [for us],” she said.
The coach believes that the swimmers representing the MSAR in this year’s Asian Games are the best in Macau swimming history.
She said that it now depends on how the coaches can further prepare the swimmers for the Games and how the athletes will perform during the races.
Meanwhile, Chao Man Hou has expressed that the preparations are in line with his expectations.
The swimmer is spending, on average, two hours every day in training. Aside from that, he also needs to go to classes at the university. He also said that he was happy that the public has become increasingly interested in Macau swimmers, but stated that it has not added any extra pressure on him. “My main goal is my own record. As for ranking, I hope that I can enter the final. I will just try my best,” he said.
Chao said that he is confident that he will achieve a time that is similar to his personal record, but is not certain whether he will break it yet again.
When talking about other swimmers who will join the Asian Games, the athlete said that he is looking forward to competing alongside Taiwanese swimmer Cai Bing-Rong.
“He is the same age as me and is swimming breaststroke as well. I swam with him once last year in the Asian Youth Games in Nanjing. He is far better than me though,” he said.
Another Macau swimming team member, Lei On Kei, said that she went to the United States for training in the first half of the year, where the amount of exercise was immense.
“After I came back, [my aim] was mainly to adjust [myself] for this month. In this period, I have competed in two competitions in Hong Kong and Macau, and treated them like tests,” she said.
Ms Lei revealed that she has yet to recover from the previous intensive training, and is still in the process of adjustment.
“I have no idea what the situation is [in Incheon]. I hope that my strength will improve after arriving in South Korea,” she expressed.
The swimmer also revealed that she has already signed up to compete in eight different events, but has forgotten about some of them.
“The major [goal] is to achieve a personal breakthrough. Although, I think it will be pretty difficult to break my personal record.”
As for the pressure from the public to fight for medals and good rankings, Lei On Kei thinks that it is their colleagues in the diving and synchronized swimming teams who are under more stress. “Our goal is to enter the final, which is already very challenging,” she said.
Erica Vong Man Wai, another member of the swimming team, also stated that she “would be thrilled” if she could make it into the final, which she said will be very difficult.
She travelled to Shanghai where she spent a month in preparation for the Asian Games. “Now I train six days a week, two hours a day (…) We have to go to school and can only come to training after school,” Vong Man Wai said.
In this year’s Asian Games, Macau will send ten swimmers to South Korea. They will depart in the upcoming weeks.
Ms Ying added that, through negotiating with the swimmers instead of coercing them, the athletes will respect the coaches and achieve better results.
‘Mutual respect’ crucial for training
Coach Ying Jingli has shared with the Times her coaching style. She believes that it is vital to develop a good relationship with the swimmers through giving them the respect they deserve.“It is essential to be democratic with the Macau athletes. (…) Their hearts must be connected with [the coaches]. There has to be room for negotiation from training plans to goals. After you have discussed these with them, they will carry them out diligently,” she said.
Athletes gather in South Korea for Asian Games
Thousands of athletes from 45 nations are gathering in South Korea’s western port city of Incheon for the Asian Games, a key test for many of them ahead of the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Competition in the football tournament began on Monday, with North Korea’s men defeating China 3-0 to the delight of some locals and a small contingent of North Korean fans. A show of inter-Korean unity still shone through despite tensions between the countries.
The 2014 Games will be inaugurated with an opening ceremony on Friday, featuring “Gangnam Style” singer PSY alongside other Asian entertainers. With nearly 900 athletes, China is fielding the largest team at Incheon and is expected to take home the most medals. South Korea and Japan are also set to feature prominently on the podium. AP
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