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China Turns to Hermens to Boost Track Team

After helping Haile Gebrselassie and Kenenisa Bekele become Olympic champions, track manager Jos Hermens has been hired to do likewise with China, an Olympic juggernaut in many sports — but not track and field.

At the 2008 Beijing Games, China led the gold-medal standings. In track and field, however, it won just two bronze medals, trailing countries like Belgium and Panama. Hermens’ athletes alone won nine medals.

China is bent on becoming No. 1 in whatever sport it pursues. Hermens, a Dutchman, now has his work cut out for him, with the London Olympics a little more than a year away.

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