the children training for Olympic glory

BEIJING: Under the twin emblems of the Chinese flag and the Olympic rings, two tiny boys dangle from the high bar in a cavernous gym — the cradle of China’s elite gymnasts.

Elsewhere, rows of children as young as four hold the splits and handstands under the watchful eye of coaches at the Li Xiaoshuang Gymnastics School in Xiantao, west of Wuhan.

They are among the latest recruits to China’s notoriously demanding state sports system, which has attracted legions of critics but has also made it one of the most successful Olympic nations.

AFP has gained rare access to China’s gymnastics training centres over the past four years, chronicling the lives of children and young athletes who are being honed for Olympic…