Sydney, Aug.5 (ANI): A swimming school on the outskirts of Brisbane, not Beijing, is churning out champion Chinese swimmers.
The school owned by Aussie swim coach Ken Wood's Redcliffe City High Performance Centre is one of the secrets behind China's success at the London Olympics.
China has sent so many of its swimmers to Wood's Olympic production line, paying big money for the privilege, that the 82-year-old has lost count.
A dozen Chinese swimmers arrive at his centre at a time with their own doctor, physiotherapist, chef, masseuse and four coaches in a precision operation.
"I couldn't tell you, but it's a lot," news.com.au quoted Wood's as saying, adding: "I had 20 on the Olympic team - 15 individual swimmers and five in relays".
"The money is obviously no object to them. The Chinese Government wants to put China back as the No.1 swimming nation in the world," he added.
With gold medal bonuses of up to 2,50,000 dollars, Wood is set for a big windfall after China's impressive London performances.
Double gold medallist Ye Shiwen, the 16-year-old record-breaking sensation, is among the wave of foreign opponents who have trained here.But it's a controversial payday as Australian swimming descends into recriminations over the failure to win individual gold in the pool for the first time since 1976. (ANI)
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