23.02.10
VANCOUVER, B.C. — Dan Rafael, the Canadian prepare of the Chinese women's curling team, hollers last-journal instructions before a match. Yan Zhou grins and rubs Rafael's chin while he talks.
Rafael shakes his supervisor and bemoans a string of mistakes. Quingshuang Yue grins and slides away from him.
Rafael chides his conspire after an underachieving performance. Bingyu Wang grins and transitions to reflective about tomorrow.
"This team," the anguished coach says, "has no more than been baffling me."
Never mind that he has guided the women to the medal direct in their Olympic debut. Never mind that their squad consists of a former hockey contestant and three former speedskaters. Never mind that only about 100 of China's 1.3 billion citizens even curl, or that the fatherland became acquainted with the sport just in the past decade, or that these chosen few are the reigning exceptional champions.
Rafael might love this team if he didn't have to exercise it.
"I don't know what to do anymore," he says, sighing. "Just when I consider they're OK, they're not."
Source: Seattle Times