The Chinese gymnastics school training children for Olympic glory

Under the twin emblems of the Chinese flag and the Olympic rings, two 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.