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SHANGHAI -- In a room full of bright-colored cubes and giant mattresses, giggling children climb bars, try somersaults and walk gingerly on a low balance beam. Some stand on their hands, showing off their bellies under the guidance of four coaches.It was pure fun for 8-year-old Lucy Huang, a chubby-cheeked, cheerful and talkative girl. Her parents have modest goals for her progress: they hope the lessons help her stay fit, improve her balance, and help brain development.I love it here because theres lots of fun. I love doing flips forward and backward, and I like the rings, she said in one breath while sitting on the balance beam, her legs dangling.The scene in downtown Shanghai might be common in western countries but is a rare sight in China, where parents have eschewed gymnastics lessons for their children. The mere mention of gymnastics usually evokes stereotypical, decades-old images of little boys and girls tearfully practicing splits, living away from home under the watch of strict coaches, all for the chance at an Olympic gold.This summer, Chinese athletes that primarily grew up in the decades-old state sports system are still expected to dazzle the world and scoop up dozens of medals when the Summer Games open in Rio de Janeiro.But at home there are strong efforts to reform the state-led system, which is struggling to recruit the next generation of stars despite its glorious records of churning out hundreds of Olympic gold medalists and world champions.The current system is to rally national resources to train a few to win the Olympic golds and win honors for the country, said Xiong Xiaozheng, a retired sports professor in Beijing. But this strategy no longer works with todays society, and is losing its advantages.Without change, Chinas spot among the worlds elite in sports is in danger.---Established in the 1950s, Chinas state-led sports training system was tasked with rallying national pride. The poor, communist country was in need of international accolades, and bringing potential stars into one place was a cost-efficient way to train athletes.When the country did not have the resources to popularize any sport, when families were still struggling to feed themselves, the only way to train top athletes was to pool all the resources the country had then, said Ye Zhennan, who will travel to Rio as manager for Chinas national gymnastics team.For a long time, it worked. The system pushed China into top place in the gold medal hunt, peaking in the 2008 Beijing Olympics with 51 golds. Four years later, China grabbed 38 golds in London, trailing only behind the sports powerhouse United States.In the system, local governments scout out potential talent at very young ages, often in pre-school. The children are separated from their families but corralled in state sports schools -- overseen by sports authorities rather than education officials- to go through strict training programs for the sole purpose of winning world titles or Olympic golds.The young athletes must go through rounds of elimination as they advance to the city team, the provincial team and eventually the national team. They must reach the top of the podium at the Olympics, or are considered failures.The path is extremely narrow, recalled Cheng Liang, a former national all-around champion in artistic gymnastics. Because of injuries, he dropped out before the 1996 Atlanta Games.Less than one percent of athletes reach the apex and are generously rewarded with fame and cash. They become household names, or even national heroes, with glowing reports published in state media. Those who fall off the path often find themselves tossed back into a bewildering society with inadequate academic preparations or social skills.Training is always the top priority, instead of school, Cheng said.Chinese families, especially poor rural households, were willing to send their children to the all-expenses-paid sports schools, and young athletes eliminated usually were able to find jobs in a state-planned economy.But after decades of rapid growth, China has become the worlds second largest economy. Its people have much fatter wallets and far more life choices for themselves and their children. Sports schools, and their slim shot at success, are not as alluring. Add to that allegations that China has used underage gymnasts -- they were ordered to return a bronze medal won in the Sydney Games -- and parents decide to opt out.Parents these days want their children to enjoy a normal life, Cheng said.---It is a far fetch to think Lucy, the giggly girl in the Shanghai gym, and her playmates may one day compete for China on a world stage. Yet the reason she can learn gymnastics at all is a reflection of changes that have made the sport recreation, instead of a career choice.Criticism of the state system has grown louder in the past decade, as members of the Chinese public are increasingly rebelling against the notoriously ruthless, rigid training regimes, exploitation of young athletes, and proclivity for dishonest practices such as game rigging.Taking cues from gymnastics powerhouses such as the United States and Japan, Chinese sports officials believe the answer lies with popularizing sports.Already, Beijing has ordered the countrys football association to be divested from the government and has issued policies to promote the sport on school campuses. The country has commercialized football and basketball through leagues, with varying degrees of success. Road running and swimming are also beginning to take root among the public and are especially popular with members of Chinas growing middle class.Gymnastics is a bigger challenge. Chinese officials must popularize the sport after decades of keeping it from the public, reserved only for a chosen few.In the public eye, gymnastics is an elite sport. How can you popularize a sport that is widely considered to be extremely difficult, tiring and dangerous? said Wang Tongjie, director of gymnastics at Chinas General Administration of Sport.There are only 7,000 registered Chinese gymnasts, Wang said. The United States -- with a population only one-fourth of Chinas -- has nearly 150,000 competing gymnasts at all levels.There is a huge gap in talent between Chinas national team and the feeder teams at the provincial level, said Ye. The national team taps the countrys best to come up with 10 top gymnasts, a number small enough to achieve, for the Olympics, he said.Team China is covered for now.The future is not so certain.What we have is about to become broken, but the new system is yet to be established, Ye said. He points to a former powerhouse that failed to qualify for Rio as a team this year as a tale of caution. If we dont change, we will be like Romania.---His Olympic fortunes faded, and Cheng, the former national champion, moved to Alberta, Canada, in 1998 to work for a gym club. There, he was taken aback by what he saw: Kids of all sizes, some fat and slow, all learning skills. Gymnastics did not have to be an elite sport at all.I saw everybody doing gymnastics, and I realized this is a sport for everybody. Its a fundamental sport, Cheng said.Sensing the changes in China, Cheng started to look for opportunities after the 2008 Beijing Olympics. By 2012, Cheng set up Chinas first private gym club in the eastern city of Changzhou, catering to toddlers and children. He and his brother opened two more in Shanghai in late 2015 and signed up 300 members within six months. Annual membership costs more than $2,000, but local families with decent incomes see the membership as a good investment in their children.In our education system, sports are not very important, and there are few opportunities for kids to play, unless they opt for a training career, said Yu Zhiqiang, a fund manager whose 9-year-old daughter Amanda is taking lessons with Chengs gym club.I would like to have her to have fun with gymnastics, her father said. If shes truly talented and is willing (to take on a professional career), we will support her.Four years after Chengs gym opened, there are now 35 private gyms across China, and they have the support from the countrys sports administration, said Wang, from Chinas General Administration of Sport. She is also pushing to introduce gymnastics to more kindergartens and grade schools across China.Reforms at state sports schools are also under discussion. Wang said the plan is to gradually turn state sports schools over to education authorities, so the young athletes will no longer only focus on sports. They will instead become students that must meet the same expectations as their peers.We have to change the public opinion of the sport, and weve found it necessary to put the word `happy before gymnastics, Wang said. The word `happy may be superfluous in western countries to describe this sport, but if we dont do so, the public wont even give it a try but turn away at the mention of gymnastics.If the reforms are successful, the path toward Olympic gold will still be paved with sweat, rigor and sacrifice. But there will be a difference.By then, we will have athletes who really want to do it themselves and who can truly experience the joy of the sport, instead of those in the past who went into the field because the country asked them to do it, Wang said. Adidas Nmd Levne Cz . Uniteds eighth defeat of a wretched campaign means Liverpool, which currently occupies the fourth and final Champions League place, could go nine points clear of its fierce rival by beating West Bromwich Albion on Sunday. Charlie Adam scored both of Stokes goals at Britannia Stadium either side of Robin van Persies equalizer, with a miserable day for seventh-place United capped by first-half injuries to centre halves Jonny Evans and Phil Jones that forced them off. Adidas Nmd r1 Damske Levne . LOUIS -- Theres no telling how these wacky World Series games will end. http://www.botynmdlevne.com/adidas-nmd-damske-levne.html . Nine days before the opening ceremony, organizing committee chief Dmitry Chernyshenko said Wednesday that Sochi is "fully ready" and will deliver safe, friendly and well-run games that defy the grim reports that have overshadowed preparations. Adidas Nmd Pánská .com) - The Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks both take aim at their first wins of the season on Saturday, as the Canucks open their home slate at Rogers Arena. Boty Adidas Nmd Levně .ca! Kerry, Two nights after the Scott-Eriksson incident in Buffalo, the Bruins returned home to play San Jose. In that game, Zdeno Chara put a check on Tommy Wingels that clearly targeted his head. Ryan Kesler is having a monster season for the Anaheim Ducks -- at both ends of the rink.Being tied for the team lead with 28 points (12-16) only starts to tell the story. His shutdown game against top offensive stars has also really sparkled.Tyler Seguin (two games), Joe Pavelski (three games), Connor McDavid (two games), John Tavares (two games) and Anze Kopitar (one game) are a few of the top-end players whom Kesler has shut down -- as in zero even-strength goals scored against the Ducks while he was on the ice. Linemates?Andrew Cogliano and?Jakob Silfverberg?are vital to that end as well.Faceoffs, penalty killing, power play -- the 32-year-old Livonia, Michigan, native is doing it all. He won the Selke Trophy as the NHLs top defensive forward in 2011 while still with the Vancouver Canucks, and was nominated last season. Hes making a strong case again in 2016-17.I sat down with Kesler on Sunday afternoon and asked him to break down the top (mostly Western Conference) forwards hes routinely assigned to contain, and the challenges those star players bring:Anze Kopitar, C, Los Angeles KingsKesler: A guy whos good on both sides of the puck. He works hard, he has good vision and I feel that if he starts with the puck, he really likes to build speed through the neutral zone. He likes to get the puck in the middle of the ice and distribute from there. So, really just trying to stay above him in the neutral zone is whats key. And winning faceoffs.Connor McDavid, C, Edmonton OilersKesler: He likes his neutral-zone play, he likes carrying the puck and getting there with speed. Youve just got to stay close to him. Hes so dynamic, hes so explosive -- you got to be above him all the time. Hes going to get his chances, but thats when the whole line comes into effect. Just got to try and stay above him and be hard on him, make him hate playing against you. Stay close to him and really make that neutral zone tough because thats where he generates most of his offense, and on the rush.Patrick Kane, RW, Chicago BlackhawksKesler: When Kane had his breakout year, it was always [difficult] playing against him. Hes more dangerous offensively. I feel like hes the life force of that team that really gets his whole team playing like he does. That line normally is him and [Artemi] Panarin. They like to swing really low, almost to the top of the circle and pick up the puck -- their D do a good job of pulling it back and stretching the zone. For us, we dont want to be sitting ducks in the neutral zone, we want to be up and have speed and skate with them. Kane is dynamic; hes going to get his chances, just like McDavid. But for me, its just swinging with him and not letting him get the puck [on the breakout], letting his center, [Artem] Anisimov, carrying it up the ice rather than Kane. Id much rather have Anisimov carrying it through the neutral zone than Kane.Sidney Crosby, C, Pittsburgh PenguinsKesler: Everybody knows what hes about. Hes the best player in the game, probably. What can you say? Hes going to get his chances, hes explosive. He can dish, he can shoot, hes good around the net, hes strong. ... He doesnt say much on the ice. Hes a guy that really just goes about his business and puts up points. We didnt have much success against him this year [a 5-1 loss]. You just try to play him hard and know where other peeople on the ice are with him.dddddddddddd Because if you just focus on him, hes going to give somebody else a tap-in.John Tavares, C, New York IslandersKesler: Probably the best one-on-one player in the NHL. Hes a guy that you have to be aware of because you think he has nothing, and then he turns it into something. Hes a guy that competes extremely hard. He battles on the draw. He makes things happen.Joe Pavelski, C/W, and Joe Thornton, C, San Jose SharksKesler: Its tough. Especially [on] faceoffs, when both can take them on their strong side, right or left. That line has so many faceoff plays, and usually with [defenseman Brent] Burns out there, too. Its a whole line you have to be aware of. They like their plays, like behind the net -- Thornton likes distributing from there. And Pavelski is a guy youve got to tie his stick up, he gets his stick on everything. For me, its just being hard on those guys. Jumbo [Thornton] likes to use his body and, [given] his reach ... youve got to try and get close, get stick on puck and take away his options. ... Thornton and I have had our battles over the years, but I think its a respect thing. We have our talks out there, he seems like a good guy, but hes the enemy. [smiles]Henrik Sedin, C, and Daniel Sedin, W, Vancouver CanucksKesler: Theyre good guys, probably the nicest guys in the league, to be honest. With them, youve got to play them hard. Its tough, obviously theyre [my] friends, but you cant let them off the hook. You have to finish your checks on them, you have to deter them physically. Youve always got to know where both of them are. They have their little plays. I think since I played with them for so long, it might be a bit easier for me because I know their reads and I know their tendencies.Tyler Seguin, RW, and Jamie Benn, C, Dallas StarsKesler: We had a tough time with them last time [a 6-2 loss]. Theyre a line that takes chances. ... We know if we turn the puck over, all three guys on that line are gone. You dont want to push too much and turn pucks over. With that line, we try to counter a lot and make them play in their own zone.Bonus question: Is Benn a guy where you dont want to poke the bear?Kesler: Hes the life of that team. They tend to feed off him when he gets into fights and when hes physical. So, if hes sleeping, were going to let him sleep.Vladimir Tarasenko, RW, St. Louis BluesKesler: I think I fought him last year. I feel like I can deter him. For him, hes a skilled player, he can shoot the hell out of the puck, hes going to get his chances. For me, its limiting time and space. I know he likes his snap shot; he pulls it in and releases it really good. So, the less he has the puck, the better for us.Matt Duchene, C, Colorado AvalancheKesler: Speed, obviously, with him -- hes got a good release and a good shot. You try to deter him physically and just be hard on him. If I dont have a read on a guy, I just try to outwork him.Mark Scheifele, C, Winnipeg JetsKesler: Hes come on, really good player. Hes having a great year. He has that shot on the power play from the middle of the ice. The big thing is making him work off the draw. If you win the draw, youre most likely going to win the battle that shift. ' ' '