| Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Sunday, November 18, 2001 |
Comments on China's Olympic Prospects |
|
The current ninth National Games is just a step for China to prepare itself for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens and 2008 Olympiad back in its capital city Beijing.
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
The current ninth National Games is just a step for China to prepare itself for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens and 2008 Olympiad back in its capital city Beijing.
Following are quotes from Chinese sports officials attending the national games: "We are working on the plan of winning golds at the future Olympics. After the ninth national games, the biggest task of theChinese fencing team is to clinch one gold at Athens Olympics," said Wang Wei, a leading Chinese fencing official.
"Candidate gymnasts for China at the 2004 Olympics have been insight. As for which gymnast could be picked for the games, we need further observation on the candidates and their form prior tothe games is also a factor to consider," said Gao Jian, senior Chinese sports official in charge of gymnastics.
"In the women's middle-distance event, young cyclists have comeof age to fill the void left by veterans. As part of our preparations for the 2004 and 2008 Olympics, two cyclists will go to train at the France-based world cycling training center," said Tian Junrong, a senior Chinese cycling official.
"Chinese rowers are expected to break their Olympic gold drought in the 2004 Games and we aim to gain more ground in 2008. To reach the targets, we need more rowers like Zhang Xiuyun, the Olympic silver medalist. At present we have too few of such Olympic-caliber rowers," said Wei Di, chief of China's aquatics sports.
"We've targeted a haul of four Olympic gold medals by our womenweightlifters at the Athens Games. But it is still too early to say if the target could be met," said Qian Guangjian, a Chinese weightlifting official. "We shall continue to invite South Koreans to coach our national archery teams. We need to catch up with the world as fast as possible to end the gold medal drought in Olympics," said Zhou Yuan, a Chinese archery official.
"Chinese rhythmic gymnasts will try to qualify for the 2004 Olympics and win medals in 2008," said Xie Ying, a Chinese rhythmic gymnastics official. "We will set up a national team consisting 92 shooters for nextyear's Asian Games and world championships, and the roster is expected to be issued soon after the ninth national games. The champions of the national games are certain to be picked, but in view of the 2004 and 2008 Olympics, we prefer a combination of shooters in different age groups," said Xu Haifeng, head coach of the Chinese shooting national team.
|
|
|
|