The U.S. Olympic Team is the only country other than the host nation with their very own training facilities located in Beijing. They've contracted out a relationship with Beijing Normal University to set up the kind of training center our nation's top athletes have come to expect.
During a tour I took of the facilities the other day I got the opportunity to catch a glimpse of the ladies hoops stars -- including Lisa Leslie, Candace Parker, and Diana Taurasi, among others – in the middle of a closed practice.
They seemed light and loose during their shoot around, as they should with the rest of the world struggling to even compete with our dominant women's team.
More photos of the basketball team as well and the men's water polo squad after the jump.
You can read more about some of the impressive facts about the training center at Beijing Normal University in a piece the New York Times did about two weeks ago.
My buddy Nick, who is also pictured above with Candace Parker, posing with Lisa Leslie:
The entrance to the women's practice. Oops:
A quick glimpse of the shoot around:
And the water polo team in the background before their huge upset of Croatia. This is also where Michael Phelps got in some training work.
