New clampdown will make it all but impossible to gain access to stars
China's elite athletes are set to step into near-watertight isolation as they enter the final phases of their Beijing 2008 preparations.
The development is the latest in a series of increasingly restrictive initiatives introduced by the sports ministry.
Last month, officials confirmed most of the mainland's celebrity athletes, including ultra popular hurdler Liu Xiang, will cease making public appearances for sponsors starting next month.
Unprecedented measures to shield the Olympic hopefuls from the extra pressures invoked by exposure to the media mean face-to-face interviews with athletes and coaches are likely to become all but 'missions impossible' from New Year's Day for either domestic or international journalists, sources in the State General Sports Administration (SGSA) said.
The National Sports Training Centre of China (NSTC) in downtown Beijing, the biggest of its kind under the SGSA which houses most Chinese national teams, will also be off limits.