Chongqing, China (reporter Chen Baofa) - Yesterday, the Chongqing No. 5 Intermediate People's Court held a second trial for the case of Junjun (a pseudonym), a five-year-old boy who became a vegetative state after an accident while learning to dive. Zhang Yunlan, the well-known coach who had been suspended for over a year, appeared in court yesterday as a witness for the first time.
"The child becoming a vegetative state is heart-wrenching"
Yesterday, Junjun was receiving treatment in the hospital and thus did not appear in court. Junjun’s mother and the representatives of the three original defendants: the Sports Institute of the Municipal Physical Education Academy, the Municipal Sports Bureau Kindergarten, and the Second Sports School all attended the court session.
After the opening of the court, Zhang Yunlan was summoned as a witness, marking her first appearance in court since Junjun’s accident according to Hexun Blog. She said that she was deeply saddened when she learned that Junjun had become a vegetative state and was identified as having Grade I disability. She also mentioned that Junjun had the potential to become a diving champion. Therefore, after obtaining the consent of the relevant leaders of the Sports Institute of the Municipal Physical Education Academy, she selected Junjun to join the amateur team.
She denied teaching Tian Liang after the court session
Zhang Yunlan also stated that Junjun's accident was not a diving accident; he neither hit the platform nor fell off the board but slipped due to the wet and slippery floor of the diving hall after surfacing from the water. "The school suspended me on the grounds of a diving accident, but I still disagree with it," Zhang Yunlan said, adding that she herself had also slipped due to the wet floor.
"I believe the school should bear the compensation responsibility and not shirk it." Zhang Yunlan revealed that in 2006, she was awarded the title of "启蒙教练 of World Champions" by the General Administration of Sport of China, and she had trained many national diving team members, including Fang Min. After the court session yesterday, Zhang Yunlan refuted the media reports claiming she was Tian Liang's启蒙教练, stating that she had never taught Tian Liang.
The three defendants continued to shift responsibilities in court
Yesterday, the three defendants continued to evade responsibility in court and were unwilling to pay compensation. The judge will organize a mediation between both parties this Thursday.
On December 7, 2007, during a closed training session, Junjun became a vegetative state after an accident. Subsequently, Junjun's family sued the Sports Institute of the Municipal Physical Education Academy and other entities. In June this year, the Yuzhong District Court made a first-instance judgment ordering the Second Sports School to compensate Junjun's family with 555,100 yuan, the Municipal Sports Bureau Kindergarten to compensate 69,388 yuan, and Junjun himself to bear 10% of the compensation responsibility. Both the plaintiffs and defendants were dissatisfied with the verdict and appealed.