Chinese Gymnastics Team Visits Chicago through World Sport Chicago's International Exchange Program

On February 17th, six female and six male gymnasts arrived at O’Hare airport from Guangdong, China.  It was the first time the team had ever been out of China, and that first trip was to the great city of Chicago.  These gymnasts belong to the Guangdong Institute of Sport in China and are training for a chance to compete in 2012 at the summer Olympic Games in London. 

“Before they come here they don’t realize what they doing, until they come the first day, and we are doing the same level champions.”  Shang Guo, the Gymnastics Supervisor for the Chicago Park District, said about the Chinese team.  “They thought was probably here not like their level, they thought we were just playing around, and then they see our park district, our team, they do a good job.  Now they say, okay, and starting to pump up and doing the real thing, and starting to work hard.”
 
The team was accompanied by their numerous coaches and managers.  Even though no one in the contingent spoke English, they could not have been nicer or more excited to be here and see the city.

“Chicago, the people, athletes and culture, was very welcoming to them,” Guo, said.  “Very welcome style, Chicago style, they were very impressed.”

Even though their journey from China was a long one, the night they arrived the entire team attended a welcome dinner in Chinatown, put on by the Chicago Chinese community.  

Saturday morning the team visited the Museum of Science and Industry, but was not to have a lazy day, as that afternoon they were off to train with kids from the Chicago Park District Competitive Kids Gymnastics Program at Harrison Park School. 

The Chinese team began with an extensive warm-up routine, and then went straight into practicing their skills and routines on all the different apparatuses.  It took a little time for the two groups of kids to warm up to each other – but soon the teenage boys from the Chicago Park district program, who were there, were training right alongside the men from the Chinese team.  They were practicing together as if they were all one team.

“They were excited, and seeing the kids training and they are very happy and playing and warm.  More like a fun playing,” Guo said about the team.  “It feels different for them here.”

The numerous little kids watching from the sidelines were awe struck.  This was a level of gymnasts that they didn’t often get to see up close.

One little boy even asked his friend, “Is this the Olympics?” 

Only to later exclaim, “Wow!”  

The following day the team went to train at two prominent gyms in the Chicagoland area.  The girls went to train at the Illinois Gymnastics Institute in Westmont and the boys went to Buffalo Grove Gymnastics in Buffalo Grove.  Both gyms are well known, and support a high level of gymnastics.  In Buffalo Grove the Chinese gymnasts were impressed with the caliber of gymnasts they saw there.

“They feel our Chicago wide athlete level is petty high,” Guo said about his athletes.  “Some technique is very good and unique.  They are doing a very good job.”

The viewing room at the gym was packed with little gymnasts and their parents, all wanting to catch a glimpse of the action.  One mom even said to her child, “This is a big opportunity for you to see this.  They might be in the Olympics some day.”  Once again, it was a special event for all involved.

The team was off on Friday and Saturday, after their long days of practicing.  On Friday they got to visit the Sears tower and the Shedd aquarium, and then got to attend a Bulls game that night, something they had really been looking forward too.  On Saturday the team was bused out to Hoffman Estates to watch the Tyson American Cup in the afternoon.

“[Thursday] night I talked to them about how we are watching the American team, and that there was a very good chance we learn from other countries and American style” Guo said.  “Gymnastics is a performance sport.  They see what [the other athletes] are doing and they can learn different things.”

On Sunday morning the team had to fly home to China.  All expressed that they had had a wonderful time.

“Traditional from China the kids are quiet and not explode,” Guo said about the team.  “But after, later on, I saw a guy say ‘I love you’ to them and [the Chinese team] said ‘I love you too.’  I was very surprised.  They are starting to open now; I think they needed time together.”

We hope that now that these kids have had time together they will better appreciate each other’s cultures and abilities.  We also hope that the Chinese team will come back and visit us again soon.

For more photos from the International Youth Exchange with the Chinese Gymnasts, please visit our flickr page.