Li Mao Details Training Disputes and National Team Departation
Veteran badminton coach Li Mao outlined friction points regarding the Chinese national team’s training methodology during an online livestream on Oct. 2, pointing to volume-heavy fitness standards as a factor in recent competitive struggles.
The remarks follow recent international results for the Chinese squad, which secured only two titles—women’s team and mixed doubles—at the Nagoya Asian Games, while the men’s singles entries failed to advance past the round of 16. In the subsequent World Championships, the French squad captured the men’s singles and mixed doubles titles, while China claimed one crown through the men’s doubles pairing of Liang伟铿 and Wang Chang.
Addressing the national team’s training approach, Li argued that programs should not rely on uniform high-volume standards across all athletes. According to the livestream broadcast, Li questioned the application of standard fitness workloads to elite players, noting an instance where three top-ranked athletes—Chen Yufei, Huang Yaqiong, and Chen Qingchen—faced criticism during a teleconference despite holding world number one rankings.
“We had three questions privately,” Li stated during the broadcast. “First, are our coaches doing well or not? Second, when our players’ fitness scores are failing yet they are still ranked number one in the world, should they be criticized or praised? Third, since they are already world number one, what use is this physical fitness?”
Li also recounted two instances following his 2019 return to the coaching staff where he intervened regarding training workloads prescribed for Olympic champion Chen Long. The first incident occurred prior to the Tokyo Olympic Games during a scheduled 3,000-meter track session. Li stated that because distance running required a week of recovery for Chen Long, he told staff to excuse the player from the run, accepting potential dismissal.
A second disagreement occurred after the Thomas Cup following the Tokyo Games, when team management issued a directive requiring all players to run 10,000 meters daily. Although the team leader exempted Chen Long from the initial requirement, a subsequent directive mandated 3,000-meter intervals totaling 18,000 meters on alternate days for specific athletes, including Chen Long and Shi Yuqi. Li stated he subsequently left his position after confirming the training staff intended to enforce the directive.
Having previously coached players including Sun Jun, Lee Hyun-il, Lee Chong Wei, and Chen Long, Li contrasted the high-volume conditioning model with the approach utilized by French coach Tina, which prioritizes session quality over aggregate running distance.
What Specific Tournaments and Athletes Did Li Mao Reference?
What specific tournaments were referenced regarding the national team’s results?
The discussion referenced the Nagoya Asian Games, where the Chinese team won the women’s team and mixed doubles titles while men’s singles players exited before the quarterfinals, alongside the World Championships.
Which athletes did Li Mao specifically mention regarding workload disputes?
Li referenced Chen Yufei, Huang Yaqiong, and Chen Qingchen regarding training criticisms, and cited Chen Long and Shi Yuqi in connection with distance running mandates.
When did Li Mao make these public remarks?
The statements were made during an online livestream broadcast on Oct. 2.
