Fuzhou, April 21 -- Chinese beach volleyball star Xue Chen, with her partner Xia Xinyi, began her new season on Tuesday in Fuzhou, competing for the gold medal after recovering from injury last year.

Xue told xinhua she suffered ankle injury last season and had to rest for more than half a season. Therefore she was ranked 27th with 2,460 points. Xue and Xia won the bronze medal last year in Fuzhou.

"We had a 3-month winter camp training in Sanya, south China last year and flew to US for more games. Now I' m recovered from injury and I believe we can play well this season." Xue said, "I hope we can have a good start here, in my hometown."

Xue, with her ex-partner Zhang Xi, won the champion of 2013 World Beach Volleyball Championship in Poland.

Cui Long, official of General Administration of Sports, said after 15 years' development, Chinese national team of women' s beach volleyball is among the first class of the world. "No one can be sure who will definitely beat them in the big events."

Last year, Italy' s Paolo Nicolai/Daniele Lupo and USA' s Kerri Walsh Jennings/April Ross grabbed the men' s and women' s gold medals, respectively in Fuzhou.

It' s the 3rd year for Fuzhou to undertake the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour, spanning 14 countries around the world. Besides Fuzhou, Xiamen is also the city to hold the tour event in China. The 2015 Fuzhou Open is also a qualification tournament for the 2016 Olympic Games.