Latest News:  

English>>Sports

Interview: China's new curling coach focused on Olympic berths

By Al Campbell (Xinhua)

08:25, July 03, 2013

VANCOUVER, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Marcel Rocque, new head coach of China's national curling program, says his main priority as he begins his tenure is in ensuring the women's team qualifies for next February's Sochi Olympics.

With the China men's team having already qualified for Russia by virtue of a sixth-place finish at the world championship in April, the women's squad led by skip Wang Bingyu, the 2009 world champion, will be looking to join them with a successful showing at the final Olympic qualifier in December.

The Chinese women's team, who won a bronze at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, the country's first curling medal, will be among seven nations in Fuessen, Germany, fighting for the final two spots to be among the 10 nations qualifying for the Games.

"They're definitely skilled and I'm not sure why in the last few years they've underperformed, but that's my focus is to try to figure out what is causing them to underperform," said Rocque, a 42-year-old Canadian who was hired by the China Curling Association in June on a 10-month contract to oversee the men's and women's national teams, as well as three junior teams.

"I'm going in last minute trying to make some changes that might help them make small steps and small strides. Having said that, they've had success already so I'm hoping there are minor things I can bring that can make some big differences."

Edmonton native Rocque, a physical education teacher who has coached from the junior to national team levels in Canada, comes into the job with impressive credentials. As the lead on the Randy Ferbey rink, he won men's world championship titles three times, in addition to capturing the Brier, Canada's national championship, on four occasions.


【1】 【2】



We recommend:

Top 10 rarest albino animals in the world

Seven most amazing lakes in New Zealand

Most beautiful Chinese celebs

Sexy photos of Chinese diving show stars

Top 10 special 'small' countries

Lin Chi-ling promotes online game

World's most extravagant mobile home

Joe Chen covers Modern Lady

Fans at FIFA's Confederations Cup

Email|Print|Comments(Editor:LiQian、Ye Xin)

Related Reading

Leave your comment0 comments

  1. Name

  

Selections for you


  1. PLAAF's female fighter pilots

  2. PLA Hong Kong Garrison

  3. People mark Canada Day across country

  4. A light dream of LED R&D engineer

  5. Rainstorms triggers flood in Chongqing

  6. Beijing's blue sky after hazy days

  7. Xu Jinglei attends Dior Haute Couture

  8. Body painting show at a shopping mall

  9. China plugs into Indonesian phone mart

  10. China's largest railway terminal officially opens

Most Popular

Opinions

  1. Abe's 'values diplomacy' goes against the grain
  2. New features of the 5th Cross-Strait Forum
  3. Six questions about China’s space lecture
  4. Time to rethink taste for freshly killed poultry
  5. Inequality grinding the gears of growth engine
  6. Manila mulling wider access for US, Japan
  7. Marriages are made in heaven not in fairs
  8. China can curb credit crunch: ADB official
  9. As house prices rise, 'wild' theories thrive
  10. PBOC's caution amid cash crunch to pay off

What’s happening in China

China's weekly story (2013 6.22-6.28)

  1. Heilongjiang issues blue rainstorm alert
  2. China begins oceanauts recruitment process
  3. China shares gains on climate change adaption
  4. Final hearing for mother's labor camp suit begins
  5. Beijing police bust 237 foreigners