Princeton University Athletics
Track & Field Teams Head To China For 13-Day Tour, Two Competitions
June 11, 2007 | Men's Cross Country, Men's Track and Field, Women's Cross Country, Women's Track and Field
51 Princeton men's and women's track athletes, as well as coaches and support staff, will leave Tuesday for a 13-day tour of China that will feature two competitions and visits to Xian, Shanghai and the 2008 Olympic city of Beijing.
Members of the Tigers depart from both New York and San Francisco Tuesday and will return to the United States June 24. 28 men's track athletes and 23 women's track athletes, as well as the coaching staffs from both programs, will experience the "Middle Kingdom" and see China's ever-changing face while also competing against top Chinese athletes in a pair of weekend meets.
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our student-athletes and our staff," says Princeton men's track & field head coach Fred Samara. "We greatly appreciate the support of the University and the Friends of Princeton Track that has enabled us to make this trip possible."
The Princeton contigent arrives in Beijing Wednesday afternoon and will spend the next five days after that in the capital city, home to the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. The Tigers will visit the Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, the Temple of Heaven and the Forbidden City while in Beijing and also experience several special meals and performances, including a meal served at the home of a local family and a performance of the Beijing Opera.
Team members will also train on June 14 and June 15 in preparation for a June 16 competition in Beijing against an all-star team from Beijing City University.
On Mon., June 18, the team will travel to the inland city of Xian, the ancient capital of 11 Chinese dynasties and the historic gateway to the Silk Road. The Tigers will spend parts of three days in Xian, visiting the site of modern China's greatest archaelogical discovery?the Terra Cotta warriors and horses that silently guarded the tomb of the Emperor Qin Shihuang for more than 2000 years.
The Tigers then leave Xian Wednesday for four days in the cosmopolitan city of Shanghai, China's financial and art center.
In addition to three days of training, the Tigers will visit the top of the Jinmao Tower, the tallest building in China with a stunning view of Shanghai and the surrounding countryside, as well as the Shanghai Museum, home to more than 120,000 cultural relics of ancient China. Along the way, the Princeton contingent will enjoy a traditional Mongolian barbecue lunch and see the futurist Pudong area, rapidly becoming the symbol of modern China.
Princeton will then compete in an invitational meet with the top track athletes from the Shanghai area on June 23.
Check back at GoPrincetonTigers.com for updates and photos from Princeton track's historic trip to China.