Turning part-time to full-time program, doubling training hours, assistant coach Chen Wenbo from China has brought head-to-toe changes to the American diving team towards Beijing Olympics.
Quite different from Chinese divers who started diving at very young ages, most of the American divers started their career following their personal interests and lack in basic skills training, said the 47-year-old Chen on Sunday.
He considered the lack of systemic training as a weakness of American divers on the road to reclaim diving supremacy from China.
Since taking over the team three years ago, he has practiced a different discipline, turning home schooling to full-time training, adding training hours from 20 hours per week up to 40.
"Chen took our divers to a higher level in the past three-and-half years, both in degree of difficulty and consistency of every movement," said U.S. coach John Wingfield.
"Coach Chen has very different style from the American coaches. He makes us more competent. I believe he will lead me to realize my dream," said Kelci Bryant, the 3-meter springboard diver.
Preparing for the Beijing Olympics, Chen teamed up the U.S. diving team with both experienced divers such as three-time Olympic competitors Laura Wilkinson and Troy Dumais, and the Olympic debutants.
Compared with the main Olympic rival Chinese who have more experience and higher difficulties, Chen believed the U.S. team is better in physical strength and is under less pressure.
"My divers are open-minded and have little mental burden in the competitions, which helps them to create miracle," said the coach.
To get over time difference for divers is part of Chen's efforts in Beijing. "I started to help them adapt to Chinese local time after we got on plane to Beijing. I asked them not to sleep too early, stay till 11 or 12 at night."
It helps his athletes quickly get used to local time and take up warm-up in the National Aquatics Center, known as the "Water Cube".
"The pool is wonderful. It makes my divers very excited and look forward to the competitions," Chen said, referring to the "Water Cube".
With regard to the coming Olympics, also Chen's journey home, he said the U.S. divers are very competent in the 10m platform events, and would seize chance to challenge the all-dominant Chinese.
"I will cheer for both the U.S. and Chinese divers," said Chen.
Born in ZhanJiang city of China's southern Guangdong province, Chen was one of the best divers in the Chinese national team from 1973 to 1982, winning two national titles in 1977 and 1980.
He began his coaching career in the Chinese national diving team from 1983 until 1991, during which he cultivated Chinese national, Olympic and Asian champions, as well as gold medalists in the World Championships and the World University Games.
(Xinhua News Agency August 4, 2008)