 |
Chinese Olympians to Be Selected in End of August
Around 350 athletes will represent China at the Olympic Games in Sydney. The National Sports Bureau has set a goal of winning more than 16 gold medals, the number of golds China won in the last Olympics.
Wu Shouzhang, head of the State Physical Culture and Sports Department, disclosed yesterday that all the qualifying competitions and trials for the Olympics have ended. The athletes who will represent China in the Olympics are currently being selected. 369 athletes from 184 events in 25 categories have qualified for the Olympics. Thus, China will send about 350 athletes to Sydney. In addition, there are about 150 officials, coaches, doctors, translators and personnel who will also make the trip down under.
The Chinese Olympic team will have a mix of old and young. About 90 veterans or a quarter of the team participated in the last Olympics. The eldest Olympian is 40-year-old marksman Wang Yifu who has participated in five Olympics. Zhan Shu, the 16 years old swimmer, is the youngest on the team.
Wu Zhangshou said, the National Sports Bureau explicitly set the goal of winning at least 16 gold medals, at least the number China won in the last Olympics. The Chinese have a good chance of winning golds in seven events: ping-pong, badminton, gymnastics, diving, shooting, weightlifting and womenĄŻs judo.
Currently, the Chinese team is busy with their final preparations for the Olympics. The National Sports Bureau will announce the roster of athletes selected to represent China in the Olympics at the end of this month. The team will go to Sydney around September 11.
In This Section
|