Front Page Story

First is always the most exciting. Yesterday, Zhong Man, fought fearlessly and won gold in men’s saber fencing. This is the first fencing gold for Chinese man in a sport that has long been dominated by European players. Ask what’s the secret to tonight’s gold? Zhong Man’s answer is that he felt no pressure at all. Before yesterday, no one every expected this runner turned fencer to win anything in the Beijing Olympic games. Zhong fought every match with the mentality of learning from better European players. In the end, this light-hearted man won the heaviest gold which the Chinese has been waiting for 24 years ever after the first woman’s fencing gold in the Los Angles games.

Other headlines today

• Another meaningful gold for China was the men’s team gold in gymnastics. Once the defending champions in gymnastics, the Chinese men’s team lost their rightful throne in the Athens games, finishing fifth. Ever since then, the gold in Beijing becomes a must. The team couch, Huang Yubin, said that he would throw himself from the roof of the highest building if the Chinese team didn’t win team gold in Beijing. Good thing the Chinese won or this couch would probably hear chicken everywhere he went in China.

• It seems yesterday was the Chinese day. In the 69kg men’s weightlifting, the gold was originally thought safe. However, the previous Olympic champion was hurt and left the match in the hands of a young athlete, Liao Hui, who was originally a gymnast. I guess he turned to weightlifting for a reason. He lifted 190kg that’s almost 400 pounds to win the gold.

• The 16 year-old pair won gold in the 10 meters women’s synchronized diving. To win a synchronized diving gold means sacrifices and devotion. And these teenage girls won the gold. It might look good on TV or on record. But I can feel the weight behind this Olympic metal.

• Finally talking about something else other than the Olympics. The Sichuan reconstruction efforts underway. The municipal government asking for improvements or ideas on the current reconstruction plan. Under the current blueprint, the whole reconstruction will cost one trillion RMB.

• The CPI numbers are out today. Like forecasted, the CPI number wasn’t as bad as the PPI. However, this news failed to make an impact on the gloomy stock market.

• From a girl that gets sick whenever she goes to kindergarten to the first official private home-school in China, this home-school might be filling a gap as the current education system under going a transaction. Other similar home-school for 10 to 20 elements students will begin to spring up across China.

• Lastly, we will finished off with the first domestic monopoly case today. Right after the anti-monopoly laws came into effect, four Beijing companies sue the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People’s Republic of China for helping one of its stake companies practice monopoly in China. The administration requires domestic company to register with a quality inspection company and pay a fee for the quality control bar codes. The national people’s court has not announced whether it will take this case. This is a step in the right direction no matter the result.

Zaobao! Zabao! is a daily article by Li Yizhong that translates and puts into brief perspective the headlines of the Shanghai Morning Post's daily newspaper. Read more of his work on the Zaobao! Zaobao! blog.