I don’t know about the flogging but I expect their athletes are groomed and treated pretty much along the same lines as athletes were from all the former Eastern Block countries. If they win then they can expect life to be a little more comfortable than it is for the general population and if they fail, they lose all the benefits and priviledge they’d previously enjoyed.
I saw on some show (maybe a news segment) that Chinese athletes are pushed to win at all costs. No other medal but the gold matters to them. That’s a lot of pressure for these young kids. Of course they’re out there to get the gold, but it wouldn’t surprise me one bit if steroids or other drugs aren’t in the picture for those Chinese athletes....much more so than other countries. Really sad.