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Saturday October 22, 2005

US legend Johnson scouts for Chinese talent

NANJING: Five-time Olympic champion Michael Johnson is at China’s National Games scouting for talent to take back to his training camp in the United States and prepare for the Beijing Olympics.

The legendary 200m and 400m star is on the lookout for a squad of elite Chinese athletes to train at Baylor University as part of a deal with the China Athletics Association.

“I was invited to coach clinics in Beijing last summer. So from that point we established a relationship with CAA (China Athletics Association),” he told the Xinhua news agency.

“Now, I’m looking forward to bringing a larger squad of Chinese athletes to train with us in the United States next year.”

Johnson became the first foreign track coach hired by China when he gave talks and guidance to China’s Athens-bound Olympics team in a programme sponsored by sportwear makers Nike.

In January, China sent 100m specialist Zhou Jiamin, 200m sprinter Yang Yaozu and 400m runners Hu Chengjiang and Jiang Bo to Johnson’s Ultimate Performance Training Camp.

Between 10 and 12 Chinese athletes are expected to attend Johnson’s camp next year, he said. – AFP

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