Talent sought

"We are building an interdisciplinary team of experts, while drawing on experience from other countries in supporting athletes at a higher level and over a wider range," Gao said.

"When coaching and assisting athletes requires higher-level skills and qualities, there is an urgent need for interdisciplinary talent for competitive sports and for the development of technology and related research in the field," he added.

For its summer training in 2019, Shanghai University of Sport brought in more than 20 physical training experts to join the science team for the Olympics, adapting to the needs of different sports.

Four years earlier, the university launched bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in physical training, enrolling some 20 students annually, who learned how sports science is used to tap the human body's sporting potential. Collaboration with universities in the United States, Australia and European nations is underway to jointly cultivate talent.

Bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in sports performance have also been offered at Shanghai University of Sport since 2019.