------Program code: CC-080327-03743 (what's this?)

Source: CCTV.com

03-27-2008 12:37

We’ll begin by meeting the couple who, despite hardly ever talking to each other, won China’s first-ever Olympic badminton gold medal; then we’ll meet Sang Lan, the young Chinese gymnast who a decade ago became the darling of America, as she battled to recover from a devastating spinal injury; after that, a mainstay of the national football team looks back on nearly a decade of occasional success and frequent frustration; and finally, a decision that led to her missing the 2004 Olympics may have saved the life of one of China’s top women sailors.

The pursuit of sporting excellence can forge strange partnerships. For years, Ge Fei and Gu Jun were the undisputed queens of the badminton arena. And yet, off the court they had nothing to do with each other – until unexpected defeat brought them together.

If ever someone has personified the power of sport to bring countries together, it must surely be Sang Lan. She is the young Chinese gymnast who suffered terrible spinal injuries during a practice vault for the Goodwill Games in 1998. With her smiling face and courage in the face of terrible adversity, she captured the hearts of Americans.