Renato Canova named head distance coach for Chinese Athletics Federation
Renato Canova named head distance coach for Chinese Athletics Federation
Renato Canova, famed Italian distance running coach, has been named the head distance and middle distance coach for the Chinese Athletics Foundation according to Italian blogger Alberto Stretti.
“It is a very exciting project,” he told Stretti. The excitement likely comes in the form of being able to mold an almost non-existent Chinese middle and long distance program.
Since China began competing at the World Championships in 1983, they’ve won a total of five medals in the events 800m and up-- but that’s excluding the very questionable (and likely very dirty) year of 1993, when the Chinese women swept the 3000m, nearly swept the 10,000, and took home a gold in the 1500m.
Likewise--and perhaps a bit more bleak--since China began competing in the Olympics in 1952, they’ve managed only eight medals in all events in track and field, most of them, oddly enough, in the racewalk. It should be noted that between 1956 and 1984 China underwent a sort of identity crisis in the eyes of the IOC due to civil war, and their participation in those games is a little more than confusing.
With Canova’s history, though, it’s likely that China’s wintry international record could start to show some color. Since 1999 his athletes have brought home 14 medals on the world stage (including World Championships and Olympics), and broke three world records (four if you want to count Moses Mosop's 2:03:06 performance at Boston). He’s best known in the US for his brief stint as Ryan Hall’s coach, before Hall’s decision to return to faith based training this summer.
According to Stretti, Canova will be taking on a dual role. One of administrator, “impacting regulations, calendars, techinical and political choices” and another as coach, “training personally the group men and women with many of the best athletes on many stages outside of China; this winter in Kenya, for example.”
China, who have never been afraid to push promising athletes to the next level (however unethical it may seem), has been making big strides in medal count on the world scene. However, a gap still exists when it comes to track and field.
Adding Renato Canova to their arsenal could be the key to putting the puzzle--one with more than a billion pieces to choose from--together in the form of producing Chinese distance runners who are medal threats on the international stage.
Find the full article on Alberto Stretti's Blog.
“It is a very exciting project,” he told Stretti. The excitement likely comes in the form of being able to mold an almost non-existent Chinese middle and long distance program.
Since China began competing at the World Championships in 1983, they’ve won a total of five medals in the events 800m and up-- but that’s excluding the very questionable (and likely very dirty) year of 1993, when the Chinese women swept the 3000m, nearly swept the 10,000, and took home a gold in the 1500m.
Likewise--and perhaps a bit more bleak--since China began competing in the Olympics in 1952, they’ve managed only eight medals in all events in track and field, most of them, oddly enough, in the racewalk. It should be noted that between 1956 and 1984 China underwent a sort of identity crisis in the eyes of the IOC due to civil war, and their participation in those games is a little more than confusing.
With Canova’s history, though, it’s likely that China’s wintry international record could start to show some color. Since 1999 his athletes have brought home 14 medals on the world stage (including World Championships and Olympics), and broke three world records (four if you want to count Moses Mosop's 2:03:06 performance at Boston). He’s best known in the US for his brief stint as Ryan Hall’s coach, before Hall’s decision to return to faith based training this summer.
According to Stretti, Canova will be taking on a dual role. One of administrator, “impacting regulations, calendars, techinical and political choices” and another as coach, “training personally the group men and women with many of the best athletes on many stages outside of China; this winter in Kenya, for example.”
China, who have never been afraid to push promising athletes to the next level (however unethical it may seem), has been making big strides in medal count on the world scene. However, a gap still exists when it comes to track and field.
Adding Renato Canova to their arsenal could be the key to putting the puzzle--one with more than a billion pieces to choose from--together in the form of producing Chinese distance runners who are medal threats on the international stage.
Find the full article on Alberto Stretti's Blog.