Source: CCTV.com

02-13-2008 08:46

Special Report:   2008 Beijing Olympic Games

At the Melbourne World Gymnastics Championships in 2005, a young Chinese girl called Cheng Fei rose to prominence all across the world. She even had her own signature move named after her, the "Cheng Fei Maneuver". The first female vault champion in Chinese history jumped onto the podium and into people's hearts. But 2007 was full of problems: her weight went up and she could no longer perform her own move. Let's take a closer look at Cheng Fei's story as she goes for gold in 2008.

Cheng Fei Maneuver (Photo: xinhuanet.com)

This is the "Cheng Fei Maneuver", a one-hundred-and-eighty-degree back flip with a 540-degree forward flip. The extremely difficult and eye-catching move was named after China's young star Cheng Fei at the 2005 World Championships. After reaching such heights, nobody could foresee that - just two short years later - she would have fallen from grace.

Cheng Fei said "I tried my best to get my career back on track with extra training, and I finally rediscovered my form. My coach Lu Shanzhen said that now it's real "Cheng Fei maneuver" again."

2007 was not an easy year for Cheng Fei.

Lu Shanzhen, Cheng Fei's coach said "As an athlete, things may not always go your way and you may meet difficulties. Though 2007 was a hard year for Cheng Fei, if she can overcome her difficulties, she can perform well in the 2008, and she will have a bright future. Every competition is a challenge for her."

Cheng Fei Maneuver (Photo: xinhuanet.com)

Cheng Fei won three titles at the 2006 World Championships in Denmark, after vaulting China back onto the podium in 2005. She won golds in the vault, floor and team disciplines, becoming easily the most decorated female gymnast in China.

But it's not so lucky for Chengfei in 2007. The first troubles for Cheng Fei as she grew older concerned her weight. Now she weighs herself every day both before and after training, an entirely new issue for her.

Cheng Fei said "I haven't had any problems with my weight before. When I was young, I tried my best to eat a lot to strengthen myself. Though I was very tired, I only needed one day to rest. But now I need about one week. My diet consists mainly of fruit and water. I'll have lunch at the dining hall after morning training, and my dinner is just some fruit and water."