Women's volleyball captain Zhu leads China into Asian Games

BEIJING (AP) — A towering volleyball player who makes her living in Turkey is the unrivalled star of China's squad at the Asian Games in Indonesia.

Zhu Ting is something of an anomaly in China's sporting world, which still largely relies on its highly disciplined and deeply nationalistic sports academies to produce champions who dominate at events such as the Asiad.

Her professional success demonstrates how its athletes are looking for new avenues to develop their talents, and sports administrators are hoping that will spark a resurgence in the country's fortunes after China placed third in the medal standings at the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics.