【禁聞】昔體操冠軍 今賣藝爲生

【新唐人2011年7月18日訊】中國的體育界，除了使用禁藥備受關注外，體育運動員退役後出路窘困也常受到議論。上週，一名網友在微博上透露了前體操冠軍選手張尚武淪落到街頭賣藝 ，消息不脛而走。中共政權繼承自共產蘇聯的體育制度，再次成爲中國民眾抨擊的焦點。

7月14號，網名為「浪風」的網友在微博寫道：「有多少人在王府井地鐵口（東方新天地）看過這個體操前『世界冠軍』？每天我還沒到公司他就到了，我八點回家他還在。腿跟腱斷了，國家不管了」。微博上還貼了一張張尚武被保安趕走收拾東西的圖片。

這條微博在網上熱傳，到15號晚被轉發了35,709次，跟貼評論8,016條，引來眾多媒體與網友的關注。

之後幾天，許多大陸媒體採訪了張尚武。張尚武表示，爺爺得了腦血栓，病情越來越嚴重，他很想賺錢給爺爺治病，可是沒有一技之長，只好賣藝。

張尚武：“（我）很想盡盡孝，但是我又沒有辦法，我現在又沒有能力，我現在只能靠我這點能力，我只能是賣藝掙一點錢，給我爺爺治病。”

張尚武5歲練體操，12歲進國家隊。18歲獲大運會吊環金牌，之後參加了在比利時根特舉行的世界體操錦標賽。他22歲從省隊退役。25歲因盜竊被判刑4年半，獲減刑今年4月提早出獄。

張尚武退役的問題原因可能錯綜複雜，有報導說跟偷竊、不受紀律、為女友把人打傷等有關， 也有報導說跟他個人性格以至破裂家庭有關。但張尚武退役後找工作難是不爭的事實。

根據張尚武的嬸嬸戎女士透露，張尚武找保安工作，1米51的身材不合格，家人曾經求熟人介紹工作，當時大家都會帶著嘲笑的口氣說“世界冠軍還需要找工作？”

除了張尚武，有不少“冠軍級”體育運動員也傳出退役後處境淒涼，如1990年獲得全國女子舉重冠軍的鄒春蘭。她因爲沒有出路而當搓澡工。張尚武也坦白的說，自己進了體操隊後根本沒有童年。

張尚武：“我們12歲進國家隊，一直到我20歲退役，到我20歲受傷，回到地方，這段時間沒有甚麽童年，我的童年跟我最親切的就是冷梆梆的器械、雙槓、單槓、鞍馬、體操，就這個陪伴著我度過了童年，一直到我20歲。”

許多網友都在網上討論，為張尚武抱不平。網友這樣寫道：

“以後還有多少父母願意把自己的孩子送去練專業體育呢？唯一能夠搞笑的是，一個世界「大學生」運動會的冠軍，竟然坦言自己沒上過學，真不知道這個比賽的參賽資格是怎麼審核的？”

“中共政府就是這樣，需要你的時候是你孫子，你沒用了你連孫子都做不成！！！可悲啊！”

“我發誓，以後看到甚麼奧運會或者甚麼比賽，如果中國奪冠也沒甚麼感覺了，這事荼毒了多少孩子？拿他們掙了面子就棄之如敝屣了……”

而一位自稱也是中共體制下的運動員的網友表示：「作為一個同是運動員的我看到了這個 ，我感到很無力。不出名的運動員真的是弱勢群體。」他說，大眾不了解一個運動員受傷之後的情況，有人說可以「去建築地打工啊」， 但是，他希望大眾更深入的去「懂」他們的處境。

新唐人記者吳惟、王明宇綜合報導。

Ex-Champion Reduced to Street Performer

In China』s sports circle, in addition to drug abuse, the lives of retired athletes are often discussed.

Last week, a netizen exposed on microblog that

former gymnastics champion Zhang Shangwu was reduced to be a street performer.

The message spread like wildfire.

The sport system, which is inherited from the former Soviet Union

by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), once again draws criticism.

On July 14th, a netizen named “Wind wave” wrote on microblog,

“How many people saw this former 『gymnastics champion』 at the Wangfujing subway?

Everyday, he is there before I arrive at office, and when I go home at 8 p.m., he is still there.

After his Achilles tendon was broken, the state has abandoned him.”

A picture of Zhang being driven off by security guards is also posted online.

This microblog message was forwarded enthusiastically, for 35,709 times in one day, with 8,016 comments.

It caught the attention of the mass media and netizens.

Several days later, Zhang was interviewed by many Chinese media.

Zhang said that his grandfather was suffering from aggravating cerebral thrombosis.

He wanted to earn money to heal his grandfather, but he had no skills.

As a result, he had to perform on the street.

Zhang: I really want to show my filial piety, but I have no means.

I do not have much capability.

Now I can only rely on performing on the street to earn a little money to treat my grandfather”

Zhang started playing gymnastics when he was 5 and joined the national team at age 12.

He won a gold medal of hand ring at the age of 18.

Afterwards, he participated in the World Gymnastics Championships games in Ghent, elgium.

He retired from the provincial team when he was 22.

And he was sentenced to 4.5 years in prison for theft when he was 25.

He was released from prison in April 2011, due to a shortened jail term.

The reason of Zhang』s retirement was complicated.

Some media reported that it was related to theft, discipline violation, bodily harm, etc.

Others said it was about his personality and his broken family.

It was hard for him to find a job after retirement.

According to Zhang』s aunt Ms. Rong, Zhang tried to become a security guard,

but his height of 1.51 meters made him unqualified for the job.

His family used to ask acquaintances to help him find a job,

but everyone scoffed, "a world champion needs to find a job?"

Besides Zhang, many retired champions live in dismal situations,

such as Zhou Chunlan, who was the national women's weightlifting champion in 1990.

Now she has to work in a bath house to swab down customers.

Zhang confessed that there was no childhood in a gymnastics team.

Zhang: We joined the national team at the age of 12. I did not have a childhood.

I got hurt when I was 20. Afterwards, I left the national team and went back to join the local team.

For me, all those cold instruments were the closest friends to me: parallel bars, horizontal bar and pummeled horse.

Gymnastics accompanied me for my entire childhood, until I was 20.

Many netizens discussed this online and felt unfair for him. Someone wrote:

“After this, how many parents would like to send their children to train as professional athletes?

And the only funny thing is that a champion of “university student” games confessed that he had never been educated.

How could he get the qualification to participate in the games?”

“That is the CPP government. When it needs you, it enslaves you.

But when you are useless, you are worse than a slave! What a tragedy!”

“I swear, when I watch Olympics or other competitions,

I won』t feel anything special when China wins.

How many kids are ruined for this?

After using them to “gain face” for the CCP, they are treated like dirt.”

A netizen who claimed to be an athlete in the CPP system said, “As an athlete,

I feel powerless when I saw this. Unknown athletes are really vulnerable groups”.

He said that the public did not understand the situation after an athlete was injured.

Someone said “they can work in construction sites”.

But he really hoped that the public could “understand” their situation on a deeper level.

NTD reporters Wu Wei and Wang Mingyu