International exchange

The domestic medical sports science sector is still a bit of a fledgling field.

Wang recalls that, in 2016, when he attended the Rio de Janeiro Olympics as a doctor with Team China, he was astonished to find that the medical contingent of the United States delegation numbered in the triple digits in the Olympic village, with an additional group living aboard a ship.

"The US team brought their medical devices via ship, so that their athletes could rehabilitate as usual," Wang said, recounting how his team marveled at their US counterparts' facilities during a visit.

That's why Wang has always emphasized the importance of international communication. For years, the doctors, nurses and rehabilitation therapists from Wang's department at the hospital have engaged in international exchanges, sharing their experiences and advocating that sports medicine departments nationwide to follow suit. From Sep 2023 to June, at least three teams from the department were invited to display their recent achievements at the International Congress on Shoulder and Elbow Surgery held in Rome, the International Cartilage Regeneration and Joint Preservation Society Annual Meeting held in Barcelona and the 18th International Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine Conference in Sydney.

These international exchanges don't just mean learning from their European and US counterparts — the Chinese specialists also have plenty to share with their global colleagues, especially concerning the use of Traditional Chinese Medicine, which Wang said can be best integrated with modern methods in the field of sports medicine.

At Rio 2016, the video of US swimmer Michael Phelps undergoing cupping therapy went viral on social networks and on mainstream media.

That combination is a key sector, one which Wang believes can drive innovation. He insists that only by establishing an innovative system that combines TCM concepts with modern medical technology, can China's medical sports science lead the world.

Gao Zunrong contributed to this story.

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