National coach flies to capital to be with Olympic gold medallist after fourth collapse in past 18 months China's top swimmer collapsed in training this week - the fourth time she has done so publicly over the past 18 months - causing serious concerns about her state of health and the country's medal prospects in the pool in 2008. Luo Xuejuan, who won the 100 metres breaststroke in Athens, collapsed while weight training at the national training centre in Beijing on Wednesday. She has a recent history of collapsing after races or during training. In Athens after she completed her leg of the 4x100 metres breaststroke relay she slumped on to the bar and had to be lifted out of the pool. Citing ill-health at the time, the 21-year-old then pulled out of the 200 metres breaststroke at the Athens games. In the run-up to the world championships in Montreal this summer she had to stop training on a number of occasions, saying she felt faint and had problems breathing. She also collapsed after getting out of the pool following a semi-final at the national games last year. Officials had to carry her to the medical centre where she was revived. The national team coach Zhang Yadong said he flew immediately from Hangzhou to Beijing when he heard of Luo's latest health scare. 'The team doctor told me there was no big problem with Luo Xuejuan. But I could not be at ease. I was afraid something might happen,' he said. Yesterday, Zhang, the Chinese swimming association and Luo herself were all playing down her condition, but her coach did admit he would withdraw her from some competitions next year as a precautionary measure. 'We think it is just due to a lack of potassium in her diet,' Zhang told state media. 'But I will be talking to her soon and I will suggest that she cuts back on training and opts out of some of the events she had planned to enter.' Yesterday the China News Service quoted a doctor as saying that although a lack of potassium in the body would cause weakness, it would not result in a person collapsing and losing consciousness. 'It does not sound like this condition is caused by a lack of potassium,' he said. 'She has collapsed before so she should be admitted to hospital and put through a thorough medical investigation.' Luo's scare is the latest blow to a national swim team that is struggling to rebuild after a disappointing showing at the Athens games. Aside from Luo's gold, China only managed one other medal in the pool - a silver in the women's 4x200 metres relay. Zhang - who used to be Luo's personal coach and has recently been appointed head of the national team - has just brought together 130 swimmers in Beijing and about 40 coaches, medics and officials at the biggest swimming training camp in the history of China's national team. The one gold in Athens 'covered all the other weaknesses', he said. 'Why was the success rate so low when we had so many first-class athletes? Before we fought individually for individual achievements? Now everybody should feel part of a team.' For 2008, Zhang has set his sights on three gold medals and a couple of silver or bronze. 'I think we can win three events, and a total of five medals is very possible,' he said, identifying the breaststroke, individual medley, mid-distance freestyle, freestyle and medley relay events as the best medal prospects. It hasn't been a good year for Chinese swimmers, who only managed to take a silver and four bronze meals at the world championships in Montreal. In addition, one of the top hopes for the future, 15-year-old Zhou Jie, tested positive for an anabolic steroid in an out-of-competition test taken by the World Anti-Doping Agency in September.