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China Aims at Surpassing Atlanta Gold, Medal Tally in Sydney
China has set a target for the 11th Paralympic Games in Sydney of surpassing their gold medal and medal total at the previous Games in Atlanta, a leading official of the Chinese Paralympic delegation said here on Sunday.
At the Atlanta Games, Chinese athletes obtained 16 gold, 13 silver and 10 bronze for a medal tally of 39. China was ranked ninth at the medal table.
Zhao Jihua, an official of the Chinese Disabled Persons Federation and the Chinese Paralympic delegation's deputy chief, said that the 87 Chinese athletes for Sydney were all the more fit and skillful than those who competed in Atlanta.
Chinese are expected to do well in some of the athletics and swimming events, and in women's table tennis, men's weightlifting as well as women's weightlifting which is to make Paralympic debut in Sydney.
"I think our athletes should and can do better this time than at Atlanta," Zhao said at a press conference here on Sunday.
The Chinese athletes had taken closed-door training sessions for up to three months in several Chinese cities including Kunming in southwest China's Yunnan Province. Kunming, which is some 12,000 meters above sea level, is famed for its high-altitude training facilities.
The Sydney Paralympic Games are set for October 18-29 this year, with 561 events of 18 sports. The Games are expected to draw a field of over 4,000 athletes and 2,000 team officials from 125 countries and regions as well as some 2,000 representatives from the media.
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