Lure of coach's credit card all the incentive lifter needs

Chinese deputy weightlifting coach Chen Wenbin has revealed the secret behind Zhang Guozheng's golden success: a credit card.

The 47-year-old coach said he had used a credit card to entice Zhang to lift harder because of the monetary rewards.

'I used this little trick to get Zhang really fired up because he knows he will get family security, a house, a car and everything that goes along with success if he lifts well,' said Chen.

'I need to motivate him all the time and the credit card seems to do the trick all the time because Zhang knows the importance of a good lift. Even in training I would show my credit card to him. The credit card we use in Athens has a credit of Euro4,000 [HK$38,500].'

When asked whether he was 'cheating' Zhang, the coach said: 'Of course, I cannot show him that much in cash for real, but he understands it when he sees it. It does have a profound effect on him.

'Sometimes I would leave a small stack of money on the floor when he is training to remind him that he would win financial rewards if he becomes a successful lifter. Last year, I used these methods and Zhang broke the world record at the Asian Championships [clean and jerk 197.5kg].'