China Sports Insider Podcast
The NHL pulls out of the Olympics, and Coach Grignard on tennis in China
On the show this week, as the NHL forbids players from going to the Beijing Olympics (1:06), Mark and Haig discuss the impact on the Games (2:08), why Olympic hockey is important (3:38), who will replace the NHL players (4:41), and dig into the NHL’s decision — and its timing (5:45).
Elsewhere, a look at how the NHL decision benefits the Chinese team (6:33), which has had some roster upheaval – and friction — in recent days (7:54). Mark also talks about his media tour – talking about Peng Shuai with NBC, WTA with Reuters (10:00), and women’s hockey — and tennis! — with CGTN (12:04). Plus, all the latest in the Peng Shuai Exhibition Tour, as she is paraded in Shanghai (12:52).
Next, we talk to Olivier Grignard, a Belgian tennis coach who first came to China in 2011 to work alongside Li Na’s coach Carlos Rodriguez, and has seen a lot of change over the subsequent years (14:31). He’s currently working with Chinese tennis player Lu Jiajing (highest world ranking 162) — who also came into the studio! – and is running his own NextChamp program (15:50).
He talks about the impact that Li Na has had on the sport in China (17:23), gives his verdict on China’s rising stars Wang Xinyu and Wang Xinyu (18:22), outlines the typical setup of China’s top players (20:14), and explains why the best juniors don’t always find success at the pro level (20:45). Next, Grignard compares Chinese players with their international counterparts (22:29), explains why the Chinese men haven’t had the same success as the women (23:42), reveals where the good players are coming from (25:54), and discusses the difference between state support for Chinese players versus those who hire their own team (27:02).
Finally, Grignard discusses the impact on player development given the suspension of WTA tournaments in China and the fact that Chinese players can’t easily travel overseas (28:20), before revealing his plans for the future alongside Lu Jiajing (29:49).
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