How children as young as four are stretched in training to be China's future gymnasts

Hanging in there: These boys are made to perform handstands or hang from high bars

And girls are made to perfect their balance by standing on one leg while holding their other limb above their heads.
The gymnasts were taking part in a training session at the gymnastics hall of a sports school in Jiaxing, in the Zhejiang province in China.
Chinese officials have insisted that tough new eligibility rules will end the type of 'age cheat' scandal which saw a Chinese gymnast stripped of her bronze medal.

A coach pins the leg of this young boy using his hand and foot

Children as young as four are put through a tough training schedule at a sports school in Jiaxing, China

Safety net: One young gymnast jumps of a high bar as an instructor holds out his hands in case he falls

Four young boys watch on as another is suspended upside down from rings inside the gym
Dong Fangxiao won gold as part of the China women's team event at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia.
The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) decided in February to cancel all results obtained by Miss Fangxiao and the International Olympic Committee followed in April by stripping China of the medal.
An investigation by the FIG revealed she was only 14 when she competed in the games. Athletes must be 16 in the year of the games to be able to take part