Logo of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games cox.[people.com]

Online polls are now underway to whittle down the remaining number of candidates from 300 to 80. These will then go on to further competition and training.

Over 10 thousand hopefuls have entered the competition since its launch in September. Any Chinese citizen aged between 18 and 60 was eligible to apply to compete for the position in the 8 plus cox rowing event.

This is the only sport in the Olympics in which such a nationwide selection could be held because the cox position does not require great physical strength or years of training.

However Gao Jingping, a former coach for the Chinese national rowing team and one of the jury members for the competition, seems a little reserved.

"I can't say we will definitely be able to select a talented coxswain. I can only say we are now trying to select a talented person and then try to cultivate him or her into a good cox," he said.

The cox, or coxswain, sits in the stern of an eight person boat facing the rowers and shouts instructions to help steer the boat and motivate the rowers.

All 80 selected contestants will take part in the first season of tryouts broadcast on China Central Television, with 10 men and 10 women being chosen in February 2007.

After three months of training and a second televised selection round, two men and two women will train for the Olympics with the national team.

Ultimately, one male and one female contestant will be chosen to compete in the Beijing Olympics in 2008.