China to send 407 athletesto Athens

CHINA has named a 407-strong squad for the Olympics with the aim of securing at least 20 golds, but there was no room for world badminton champion Xia Xuanze or double Olympic diving winner Li Na.

“Getting 28 gold medals, as we did in Sydney, is pretty hard. I’d say if we get 20 gold medals, that would be quite good,” said Li Furong, vice president of the Chinese Olympic Committee.

In Sydney four years ago, China finished third in the medals’ table behind powerhouses the US and Russia. China’s squad for Athens is its biggest ever Olympic delegation with women outnumbering men 269 to 138, competing in 26 sports - more than ever.

Li said the US and Russia should again be dominant while China will be jostling for position among a second tier of countries that also includes Australia, France, Germany and South Korea. While China has medal opportunities in the blue riband events on the track and in the pool, its strength lies elsewhere: ping pong, badminton and diving.

China’s paddlers will be anchored by Zhang Yining and Wang Nan, the world’s number one and two-ranked women respectively, and world number one Ma Lin on the men’s side.

China is also one of the world’s top badminton nations and they are expected to challenge in Athens..

In athletics China has serious medal opportunities with 110m hurdler Liu Xiang and distance runner Sun Yingjie, while Qi Hui will be striving to regain the world 200m breaststroke record she lost earlier this month.

China’s oldest athlete is 43-year-old sharpshooter Wang Yifu, who will compete in his sixth Olympic Games, while 14-year-old swimmer Zhang Tianyi is the youngest.