Youngsters are sent away to gruelling training camps.
Olympic champion Ye Shiwen said her extraordinary swim was a result of 'hard work and training'.
Children are put through their paces doing punishing exercises to toughen them up
Children are trained at camps where the word 'gold' is hung on the wall to make them focus on success
Sweat and tears: A young girl is pushed through a tough gymnastics exercise
Kuatnya semangat rakyat China
Young boys and girls are put through their paces at the Chen Jinglun Sports School, the alma mater of Ye Shiwen
Ye's team-mate, 23-year-old Lu Ying, this week attacked China's grindingly repetitive coaching regime
A group of young boys await their turn in the pool
Chen Jinglun Sports School: At seven Ye could already perform 20 chin-ups - an exercise beyond the capability of most fit adults
The school also trained Sun Yang, who won the 400m freestyle at London 2012