Chinese Olympic champion places blame on coaches following team's disappointing finish in Paris

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Li Xiaoshuang, a two-time Olympic gymnastics champion, is placing blame at the feet of the Chinese national gymnastics team's coaching staff.

The country's men's team came up short at the Paris Olympics this week and ultimately claimed the silver medal.

Li believed the athletes should not solely bare the responsibility for the team's shortcomings at the Summer Games. 

"Our team of coaches have issues. Let's not put all responsibilities on athletes. If they failed, the coaches did something wrong," 50-year-old Li said in an online live broadcast that circulated across Chinese social media, according to Reuters.

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China wins silver in the men’s team final during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Bercy Arena in Paris on July 29, 2024. (James Lang-USA Today Sports)

Li also called for a fundamental change to the country's approach to the sport.

"Our athletes are too old. Sports needs young people. We really need to change the way we train and select athletes," he said. 

The average age of China's five gymnasts who traveled to Paris is 26.2. 

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Li first won Olympic gold in the floor competition at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and again in the all-around at the 1992 Summer Games in Atlanta.

Xiao Ruoteng, 28, and Su Weide, 24, committed some critical errors in the final rotation of the all-around event. The mistakes proved costly as the Chinese saw their three-point lead over Japan after the first five apparatus evaporate.

Li Xiaoshuang performs at the Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, on