Chinese athletes will face a very intense competition in next year's Olympics with golds only probable in six or seven disciplines, a Chinese sports leader said on Thursday.

Yuan Weimin, Vice President of the Chinese National Sports General Administration, said over 200 Chinese athletes have qualified for next year's Sydney Olympics in 101 events from 17 disciplines so far.

But he warned that China, who finished fourth on overall medals standings at the 1996 Olympics, would meet with strong challenge from such world powerhouses like Germany, France and the hosts Australia.

"The final rankings from third to sixth will be fairly hard to predict considering the intense competition there," said Yuan on a ceremony to officially launch the crucial winter training for the national teams.

Yuan said that China has no sure bets in its strong events although they have the strength to compete for golds in six or seven disciplines like gymnastics, diving, table tennis, shooting and weightlifting.

"The chances for Olympic medals are promising but not certain," said Yuan.

Yuan said China also failed to qualify for 28 events, including the men's soccer and women's basketball.

China can gain more Olympic berths through qualifiers to be held next year, or by finishing top on some sports' rankings, and possibilities exist for acquiring wild cards for Sydney, he said.

The Sydney Games will be staged from September 15 to October 1,featuring 28 disciplines and 300 events.