It will be Difficult to Rank in Top Four in Olympics

Even before the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games start, the Chinese are wondering whether the Chinese team can remain in the top four in terms of Olympic gold medals in Sydney. At today's press conference, Yuan Weimin, director general of the National Physical Culture and Sports Commission, emphasized that it would be difficult for the Chinese team win more gold medals than it did last Olympic. But, the Chinese team will try its best.

1) It is difficult to stay in the world's top four.

Yuan Weimin said that the rankings of the top three medal winners in the last Olympics: America, Russia and Germany should not change. Although Germany ranks the third, it still has the potential to win 25 golds in Sydney. Thus, China must win 20 gold medals to remain in the top four for the third consecutive Olympics.

China's main competitors in this Olympics are Australia and France. After preparing for many years, they have gotten stronger, especially the hosts Australia. Yuan Weimin said, Australia's goal is to win 20 gold medals and beat Germany and China. Compared with Australia, although China has the potential to win at least 16 gold medals in ping-pong, badminton, diving, women's weight lifting, shooting, gymnastics and judo, events where China has traditionally fared well, it will be difficult for China to win gold medals in these events because the competitors are scored by judges.

But Yuan Weimin feels that the Chinese team has made progress overall. Although China has the best chance to win medals in events it has traditionally been strong in, it has a better chance of winning gold medals than before. If the China team can reach its potential in the Olympics, it is not impossible to stay in the world's top four.



2) Hopefully more "dark horses" will show up in the Olympics

One reporter asked Yuan Weimin, to comment on the question, "Although the kickboxing is a new event for China, it is possible for a dark horse to emerge and win a medal."

Yuan Weimin said, there will be eight kickboxing classes in the Olympics, but every country can only enter in four classes, meaning powerhouse South Korea cannot enter in four classes. Thus, it gives China a good chance. But whether China will win the gold will still be determined by whether China can avoid its strongest opponents and how the Chinese athletes compete in the Olympics. Wu Zhangshou, vice chairman of Chinese Olympic Committee, added that Tang Lingsheng, who won the gold in the last Olympics, was a true "dark horse." Whether another "dark horse" will appear this year depends on how China's athletes compete.



3) The Chinese team doesn't have the strength to win many medals in one event

China has its strengths like every other country, but it doesn't have the strength to win many medals in one event. Wu Zhangshou said, America won 13 gold medals both in track and field and swimming in the last Olympics. Australia ranked first for the past three years in 11 swimming events. France is very strong in bicycle racing and is expected to win six golds in bicycle racing in the Olympics. Wu Zhangshou said the Chinese team doesn't have the strength to win many medals in one event, but China has a strong team competing in the ping-pong, badminton, diving, women's weight lifting, shooting, gym, judo, fence-play, gig, men's weight lifting, sailing boat, soft ball, kickboxing, archery, track and field, swimming and bicycle events. The Chinese team will try its best to win more gold medals.



4) Guarantee that no athletes take stimulants

Yuan Weimin said that the Chinese team's position against taking stimulant will never be changed. "We will not allow one suspicious athlete to compete in Sydney," he said.

This year, China has increased testing for stimulants to guarantee the Chinese team is clean. Every athlete on the national weight lifting team has been tested four to six times on average. He Huixian, assistant to the general director of the National Physical Culture and Sports Commission, said that there are two reasons why the lists of the second and third group athletes are not publicized. First, some of the best athletes are injured and it has not been decided whether they will compete in the Olympics. And second, the testing process is not finished yet. This shows that although it is important for the Chinese team to win gold medals, it is also important for the Chinese team to protect its honor.









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