It was Wang Yifu's seventh time to be at the Asian Games, but as a coach, he was a rookie in Doha.
Wang, 46, was a legend in the Asiad shooting history by winning 23 medals, of which 14 are golds in his six straight appearances at the Asian Games from 1982 to 2002. Now a new chapter of his story started when he led his Chinese shooters to their best-ever performance at the Asian Games.
"To be here as a coach is totally different experience," said Wang. "As an athlete, I only had to concentrate on myself and I could rest after my competitions, but as a coach, I had to deal with every little thing of the team, from the whole project to the departure time of each team member."
Wang, nicknamed "old gun" by Chinese media, was a symbol of the Chinese shooting. He was the only Chinese athlete who had competed in all six Olympic Games since China's first presence in 1984, where he had won two gold medals, three silvers and one bronze in the men's pistol events.
After winning his second Olympic gold medal in Athens 2004, Wang, one of the greatest marksmen both in China and worldwide, chose to face another challenge. He took charge of the Chinese shooting team of rifle and pistol at the beginning of 2005.
"I will impart my experience to the young shooters, which is decisive in shooting competitions, especially at the premier event, " Wang told Xinhua on the first day of his new job.
Taking this position means Wang is set to appear at the Olympic shooting range for the seventh straight time, but be the leading coach of the supreme Chinese team, thus the Doha Asiad became a " mid-term" test not only for the Chinese shooting, but also for Wang.
"Our main task here is to let the young Chinese shooters have an idea of a multi-sport meet," said Wang. "We won't care about the medals."
However, his 22 pupils, 12 of which were Asiad debutants, made a clean sweep of the top podium in ten rifle and pistol Olympic events.
"I am very happy about the results," said Wang. "This is the first time that we win all ten golds in those Olympic events.
"I am also encouraged by the performances of the debutants."
Liu Tianyou, 24, a student from China's prestigious Tsinghwa University, shot down the first gold of Doha Games in the men's 10m air rifle team event together with his compatriots and also claimed the individual title.
Guo Wenjun, 23, who was making her international debut, collected a competitive score of 389 points in the qualification round of the women's 10m air pistol, finally finishing second behind teammate Tao Luna, the gold medalist of the Sydney Olympics in 2000.
"The youngsters obtained such a chance thanks to the new system of our sport," said Wang.
All the members of the Chinese shooting squad to Doha were decided by three domestic qualification competitions. Guo, who had never made the national team, grabbed the first place in the qualifications.
"She even did not have a passport," said Wang.
However, the Beijing Olympics is the real test, while the best- ever performance of four golds in Athens made the task even tougher.
"For Chinese shooting, the 2008 Olympic Games is a must-win battle," said Wang. "The Russian veterans are still tough. Their composure and rich experience make them the most dangerous rivals to us.
"However, I am looking forward to the battle."