China's head coach Huang Yubin launched a scathing attack on world governing body FIG over a new rule which will deprive gymnasts of much-needed warm-ups prior to their routines at international championships, arguing that it aims to raise the profile of the sport at the expense of gymnasts' safety.
Huang made his remarks yesterday to a throng of media ahead of his 19-strong team's exhibition at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium tonight as part of the campaign for Beijing's 2008 Olympic bid, to be decided in Moscow on Friday.
'We know that FIG decided to scrap the three-minute warm-ups because it will make TV coverage better and they will be able to make the sport more marketable. But I'm sure that gymnasts will be more prone to get injured,' said Huang.
He added that the new rule was bound to come under fierce attack by other coaches and gymnasts when it is used for the first time at the World Championships in Belgium in October.
'Gymnastics is already a high-risk sport and the FIG is taking a measure to make it much easier for gymnasts to get injured. There are already many cases where gymnasts got injured after not having enough warm-ups.
'Gymnasts will still be allowed to flex their muscles in the warm-up areas as they did before, but it's very important for them to get a feeling for the apparatus and conditions at the venue before their routines,' Huang said.
Meanwhile, young star Li Xiaopeng, who led his team to an unprecedented team gold in the men's team event and triumphed in the men's individual parallel bars at the Sydney Games, joined teammates in chanting 'support Beijing's Olympic bid' at the press conference. Li, 19, said he yearned for the Olympics to be brought to Beijing like his billion compatriots.
