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Cui Dalin, deputy director general of General Administration of Sport in China, confirmed at a recent press conference: “It is estimated that a record 550 to 570 Chinese athletes will compete at the Beijing Olympics.”

China first fully competed in the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984, when the 15 gold medals it won gave the country a fourth world ranking. Twenty years later at the Athens Olympics, China won 32 gold medals, beating Russia and giving it a world second ranking. Shooting, diving, table tennis, badminton, weightlifting, gymnastics and judo are now the Olympic events that the world expects China to win.

As regards the questions on everyones lips –– how many gold medals will China win at the 2008 Beijing Olympics? and will it surpass the 32-medal record it set in Athens? –– Cui Dalin remains low-key. He is candid in his opinion that China lags far behind the U.S., and that there is also a yawning gap between it and Russia.

There are currently 1,300 Chinese athletes making intensive preparations for the Olympics.

New Glories

China has paid increasing attention to scientific research into athletic potential in recent years.

Liu Xiang, who bettered the mens 110m hurdle record and won the World Championship in 2007, is one example of the benefits of scientific monitoring. “Liu Xiang currently has 30 sports and medical experts working on him, besides his coach,” confirms the principal of the Science and Education Department, General Administration of Sport in China. It was powerful scientific research that enabled Liu Xiang to conquer the inherent “yellow race” physical disadvantages that hitherto impeded victory and win the mens 110m hurdles.

Sports scientific research became a valuable aspect of Liu Xiangs training early in 2004. During his preparations for this event, scientific research personnel made a follow-up shoot on his daily training and races. Detailed technical analysis and effective planning helped Liu Xiang to resolve his technical weaknesses in time for the Olympics.

French star player Ladji Doucoure was Liu Xiangs arch rival at the Athens Olympics, having equaled Lius best record in the semifinal. But after analyzing Doucoures match video, the findings of scientific research personnel were that the French athletes muscles were in an early state of fatigue, and that he had little chance of ultimate victory. This observation greatly eased Lius mental pressure, and he went on to win the first mens athletics gold medal in Chinas Olympic history.

China annually spends RMB 20 million on sports scientific research. There are more than 3,000 operatives in the 2008 Beijing Olympics Human Resources. Their principal work is assisting coaches pinpoint problems in training techniques and finding scientific solutions to them.

Since the 2004 Athens Olympics, China has taken on 50 or more foreign coaches for 21 Olympic events. The fresh training concepts and management methods they have introduced have perceptibly enhanced team levels.

China is favorite to win the womens softball medal at the Beijing Olympics. The China Softball Team, currently at a world fourth ranking, invited US Michael Bastian to be the teams head coach in 2006.

Kim Chang Bak was appointed head coach of the China Womens Hockey Team in 1999. The Korean took the team to fourth position at the last Olympics and was instrumental in its winning the hockey championship at the 2006 Asian Games. His compatriot, Kim Sangryul, leads the China Mens Hockey Team. It beat India and Pakistan, losing to the ROK in the final of the 2006 Asian Games.

Moreover, the China Synchronized Swimming Team has invited Masayo Imura, Japans “godmother” of synchronized swimming, to be head coach of the team. Her skills were apparent in the results of the 2007 World Swimming Championships in Melbourne. Twin sisters Jiang Wenwen and Jiang Tingting came fourth in the Duet Competition –– the best result ever for the China Synchronized Swimming Team.

Meng Guanliang and Yang Wenjun, under the guidance of Polish coach Marek Plock, won the final of the mens C2 500m race at the Athens Olympic regatta. This was Chinas first ever canoeing gold.Plocks successor, Joseph Secker from Germany, has high hopes of breaking his 17-Olympic-Gold record.

Lithuanian coach Igor Grinko led the Chinese team in winning its first gold medal for the mens k-4 1,000m. “Water sports are now regarded as having high gold-winning potential,” said Cui Dalin.

China is doing its utmost to maintain excellence and overcome shortcomings. Chinese players have shone in 2007 world sports events, often for the first time. This new glory reinforces hopes that Chinas gold medal tally in 2008 will be its best yet.