China's 2008 gold math may not adding up (Reuters) Updated: 2005-12-28 22:06
Chinese sports officials might be overly modest when they say China may not
match its 32 golds from the 2004 Olympics when it hosts the Beijing Games, if
claims by state media and national coaches are any indication.
Even International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge has said he
would not be surprised to see China at the top of the medal count in 2008.
Winning as many gold as in 2004 would be as difficult as "climbing the sky,"
Feng Jianzhong, deputy president of the General Administration of Sport, was
quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency on Wednesday.
China finished second in the medal table at Athens with just three fewer
golds than the United States, though its total medal tally of 63 was far behind
the United States' 103.
"It is totally impossible for China to win 44 gold medals in 2008," Cui
Dalin, assistant to the administration's director, was quoted as saying in
response to rumors circulating in domestic media about the country's golden
goals.
The officials' restrained expectations were based on China's 28 titles at
world championships this year in its traditionally strong sports, such as
weightlifting, shooting, diving, table tennis, badminton, gymnastics and women's
judo, Xinhua said.
Cui pointed specifically to weaknesses in track and field, swimming and other
aquatic events as holding back the medal count in 2008.
"If we cannot achieve good results from these events, where will those 44
gold medal come from? It is totally impossible," he was quoted as saying in the
report on Xinhua's English language Web site, www.chinaview.cn.
But China's sports machine has been making concerted efforts to improve in
those events as well as others in which the country has never really been a
contender.
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