China has two of the best female taekwondo athletes in the world, but they will not be resting on their laurels at the Beijing Games. "Today's taekwondo has become more competitive. Our taekwondo athletes need to be prepared for the unexpected," said Zhao Lei, director of China's taekwondo program.

Zhao has told both two-time Olympic champion Chen Zhong and world champion Wu Jingyu to sharpen their attacking skills. On the men's side, Liu Xiaobo and Zhu Guo got the same advice.

In the National Championships earlier this year, China's taekwondo athletes fought on a smaller mat than usual, forcing them to attack more aggressively and react more swiftly. "In today's taekwondo, you can't hide. You need to stay focused on your attack," said Zhao, who will become the first taekwondo referee to work at three Olympics.

Chen, who won gold in Sydney as a 17-year-old, is bidding to become the first Chinese athlete to defend an Olympic title twice. A 13-year career has left the 1.83m fighter's right knee pocked with syringe marks and surgical scars, but she bypassed knee surgery to defend her title in Athens. "My goal is to win the gold," she said. "I'm going to go all out to win."

If she succeeds in winning at +67kg, the 26-year-old will also become the first woman to win three taekwondo gold medals.

Wu Jingyu, on the other hand, is looking forward to her first Olympics. Although she is the world champion, she faces stiff competition in the 49kg class from Chinese Taipei's Yang Shu-chun.