Brazilian Marcos Linhares did much personal research and thought a lot about China before coming to Beijing. He was thinking ahead to what aspect of the country he would speak to people about after returning home from the Olympics.

Linhares, a reporter on a Brazilian TV station, found his answer yesterday after visiting a sports training school in Beijing.

"The school principal told me that academic performance is among the main criteria for selecting students," Linhares said. "That's important. China's quality education must be why the country is winning so many Olympic gold medals and developing so fast."

Linhares, also president of the Press Association of Media Education in Brazil, will be interviewing the Chinese minister of education in preparation for the 12 articles he plans to write on the topic.

"Children are a nation's best assets. If properly nurtured they become good people and ensure their country's future," Linhares said.

The reporter said that China sets a perfect example for his country, which is among the countries applying to host the 2016 Games.

Linhares is not the only overseas reporter seeking in-depth understanding of the host of the Olympics, rather than just to report on sports events and venues.

Many of the 30,000 overseas reporters covering the Games are also zooming in on China's social structure.

Mexican reporter Irma Cuevas said that the Chinese athletes' performances at the Games impressed her so much that she is keen to know as much as possible about the country's sports training.

"As China is the biggest winner it's important to know the extent of help the government gave to sports schools, and the role of athletes' families in their training," said Cuevas.

But Cuevas, who is in China for the first time, wants to become knowledgeable about many other aspects of China.

"I saw many TV programs on China before I came here, but none gave the picture I now see," Cuevas, who works at the Mexican Radio Institute, said.

Other overseas reporters, like Cuevas, have given positive feedback on the outings and group interviews organized by the Chinese government.

"The country is incredible and amazing. I will talk about every aspect of it when I get back to Mexico," Cuevas said.

(China Daily August 22, 2008)