by sportswriters Song Ying and Chen Yu

BEIJING, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- Besides giving instructions to French women gymnasts, coach Cai Huanzong will shoulder another task in the Beijing Olympics: serving as a gymnastic ambassador between China and France.

"I have been entrusted by the French Gymnastics Association to promote the exchanges and cooperation with the Chinese counterpart at the Beijing Olympics," Cai told Xinhua on Tuesday.

As a Chinese French coach for years, Cai has acted as a friendship courier between the two countries and brought a win-win result.

For the French side, Cai has ushered in gymnastic technologies and development experience into Paris.

When Cai was employed by the French Gymnastics Association to coach about two decades ago, France had no women gymnastic team due to few players. With Cai and his French colleagues' concerted efforts, French girls have improved their performance to a new high.

In the 2007 World Champions in Stuttgart, Germany, French women athletes finished in the sixth place in the team competition.

One of the gymnasts is Cassy Vericel under Cai's guidance since her childhood. She won the bronze in floor exercise. It is a feat which France has desired for years.

For the Chinese side, Cai has given a hand to Chinese gymnasts on behalf of the French Gymnastic Association when the Chinese team came to Europe for pivotal international tournaments.

Cai said entrusted by the French association, he assisted Chinese gymnasts to make preparation in France for competitions in other European countries, such as before the Athens Olympic Games and the 2007 World Championships.

"I had tried to make the Chinese gymnasts feel at home during their stay in France, and now when I come back to China, I myself feel I am back home," said Cai.

Cai was the national champion of China in the 1970s. He went to France as a coach, sent by the Chinese Gymnastic Association according to an agreement between the gymnastic authorities of the two countries in 1981. He was hired by the French side later and altered his nationality into France in 1988.

Cai explained that the decision of changing nationality was made for the convenience to lead the French women team to international competitions.

On China's medal prospect, Cai is full of confidence. "The Chinese girls will perform pretty well. In the floor exercise, they have made tremendous progress thanks to not only the skills design but also the technological improvement," said Cai.