Peddle to the medal
WHEN OLYMPIC GOLD medallist Liu Xuan retired from gymnastics in 2001 for a career in the image-obsessed entertainment business, she was determined she wouldn't get tied up in knots about other people's ideas of beauty. 'I told myself that I was an Olympic champion, so I would try to assert my healthy image,' says the petite 25-year-old. 'It's another type of beauty.'
It wasn't long, however, before she went on a diet. It seemed that her diminutive build - 46kg on a 157cm frame - was fine for performing seemingly impossible somersaults on a balance beam - but not to stand in a lineup of actresses.
Five years on, Liu's new figure has netted her stints as a sports presenter, and roles in film and television, with a musical career in the offing. But her body still needs work, she says, so she's back on a diet. 'I have too many muscles,' she says, flexing her arms to show the bulges under her skintight black pullover. 'I want to be more slender.'
Liu may well remain on a diet for the rest of her showbiz career - like all the other actors and singers who understand the first commandment in entertainment: thou shalt look good. It's one of many tenets that Liu and other mainland sports stars have discovered as they embark on careers in entertainment. Talent and willpower will get you far on the athletic track, says Liu, but there's a lot more to being a hit in front of the cameras.
Image is paramount. China's first Olympic gold swimmer Zhuang Yong holds the Olympian acting record of starring in three films: Tam Long-chung's 1995 comedy Just Married; Alfred Cheung Kin-ting's 1998 drama The Group; and Clarence Fok's 1998 action-romance Her Name is Cat. However, her career was short-lived, largely due to her image. Audiences found her too mannish and filmmakers couldn't pair her with actors who were masculine enough.
Acting ability helps. Olympic gold-medal gymnast Li Ning now runs what's possibly the most successful Chinese sporting-goods company (which also owns Action China, the agency that looks after Liu) on the mainland. But Li's talents as an actor were less obvious. His film debut with Michelle Yeoh Choo Kheng in the 1994 action comedy drama The Wonder Seven displayed his gymnastic prowess and not much else, effectively putting an end to his film career.