CHINA DAILY TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2012 olympics 5 TEAM CHINA BOUND FOR LONDON China expands medal horizons Nation’s athletes are hoping to challenge the world’s best in the pool and in track and fi eld, China Daily reports. ith some big stars coming back even as a new generation rises, China lysts and sent athletes overseas to hone we have to try to make some break- China’s fate in the medal count. their skills. throughs and stun the world,” Liu said The martial arts of boxing, judo, is hoping for major breakthroughs in track and swimming, and may- Th e eff orts have paid off . Liu recov- at the delegation announcement cer- taekwondo and wrestling should be be some surprises in sports like judo, taekwondo, cycling and fenc- ered from a career-threatening injury, emony on July 10 in Beijing. another gold mine for China, as fi ght- clocking top results at recent meets, Sebastian Coe, chairman of Lon- ers in the four events claimed six titles ing. Compared with the niche sports it dominates — table tennis, and the swimming team bagged four don’s organizing committee, agreed. in Beijing. badminton and diving — China is lagging behind opponents like the titles at the World Championships last “Look at the way the Chinese have Cyclists and fencers will be United States in athletics and swimming. It was limited to four gold year. ranged far wider than some of their expected to provide a title from each Liu Peng, China’s sports minister staple sports like gymnastics,” Coe said side after they combined for one Wmedals in those sports at the past two Games. and Olympic delegation chief, thinks it earlier this year. gold and one silver in Beijing, while might be time to make the leap. “Th ey have strength in many fi elds the modern pentathlon squad will China sees London as a perfect led by Olympic champion hurdler Liu China is backing up its ambitions “In some high-profi le events (track like in the pool, and athletics. It’s going look to upgrade its World Cham- opportunity to extend its supremacy to Xiang and swimmers like Sun Yang are with cash. It has hired foreign coaches, and fi eld and swimming), which are to be a truly global Games.” pionships silver to a gold medal in mainstream sports. A group of athletes all in position to win gold. fi tness trainers and performance ana- dominated by western countries, Still, other events will determine London. denotes medal chance ATHLETICS SWIMMING Sun expected Leaping Liu to lead the track attack Is China ready to go head-to-head US Trials this month (Liu’s Eugene RESULTS AT PREVIOUS OLYMPICS Yawei, Tan Jian, Wang Jiali, Wang Xueqin, against Team USA on the track? result didn’t count because of the tail- 2004 Athens Games: 2 gold medals Wei Yongli, Xie Limei, Yin An’na, Zhang (110m hurdles, women’s 10,000m) Li, Zhang Wenxiu, Zheng Xingjuan, Zhou to rise in Liu Xiang will be the centerpiece wind), the Shanghai native remains Chunxiu, Zhu Xiaolin of the country’s track and fi eld cam- the favorite. 2008 Beijing Games: 2 bronze medals paign. Still, head track and fi eld coach (women’s marathon, women’s hammer throw) STARS TO WATCH Th e 2004 Olympics champion hur- Feng Shuyong warned of the foreign Olympic pool China Daily’s gold-medal projection LI YANFENG, dler clocked a wind-assisted 12.97 sec challenges, including the enigmatic for London: 2 gold medals 33 result at the Eugene, Oregon, meet Robles. In the pool, Chinese swimmers should makemake a bigbig Birthplace: splash aft er the confi dence they gained at last year’s FINA last month, matching Dayron “People think Liu will have no ROSTER Qinggang, Shanghai World Championships, and Sun Yangg has emeremergedged Robles’ world record time, as problem winning because all of Heilongjiang as the team’s new leader. he looks to atone for Beijing, his major opponents have not per- Men: Cai Zelin, Cao Shuo, Chen Ding, province Cheng Wen, Cui Zhide, Dong Bin, Dong Th e 20-year-old broke Australian Grant Hackett’sHackett’s 10-year-10-year- where he withdrew from formed better than him (this sea- Highlights: the race in front of a dis- son),” Feng said. “But that’s not true. Guojian, Guo Fan, Lao Yi, Li Jianbo, Li old world record in the 1.500m in Shanghai, andd will trytry to scoop Jinzhe, Li Zhilong, Li Zicheng, Liang 2010 IAAF another gold in his duel in the 200 and 400 againstainst Korean world appointed home crowd Robles is still young and he is the Jiahong, Liu Xiang, Qin Qiang, Shi Continental Cup champion Park Tae-hwan. due to a heel injury. man who has run under 13 seconds Dongpeng, Si Tianfeng, Su Bingtian, discus title, 2011 IAAF World Champion- Veteran butterfl y specialist Wu Peng will provideovide another medal Although the most times. He is still dangerous.” Wang Hao, Wang Zhen, Xie Wenjun, ships discus title hope in the 200, where the 25-year-old beat USUS 14-time OlOlympicympic American Aries Women’s discus thrower Li Yan- Xie Zhenye, Yang Yansheng, Zhang Guo- After winning China’s fi rst discus world Merritt record- feng will join Liu as another gold wei, Zhang Jun, Zhang Peimeng, Zhang title in Daegu in 2011, Li is looking forward champion Michael Phelps at the Charlotte Grandand Prix in MaMay.y. Xiaoyi, Zhao Jianguo, Zheng Dongsheng to an Olympic crown at the London Meanwhile, Beijing Olympic champion Liuu Zige and world cham- ed a season- medal hope aft er winning the coun- Women: Chen Rong, Gao Ni, Gong Games. Li achieved her best throw pion Jiao Liuyang are tipped to battle for a goldgold in thethe women’s 200 best time try’s only title at the Worlds last year. of 67.98m at the 2011 IAAF Diamond of 12.93 Medals could also be won in six Lijiao, Huang Xiaoxiao, Li Ling (shot butterfl y while teenager Ye Shiwen hopes too ggrabrab tthehe 200 individualindividual put), Li Ling (pole vault), Li Yanfeng, League meet in Schoenebeck, Germany, medley title. to win other events, including the women’s Li Yanmei, Li Zhenzhu, Li Lingwei, Liu and is considered the country’s best Zhao Jing, the 100 backstroker, should also bbee in tthehe hhuntunt fforor a memedal,dal, the marathon, shot put, hammer and Hong, Liu Xiangrong, Lu Huihui, Lu medal hope in the fi eld. along with the women’s 4x200 freestyle and 4x100x100 memedleydley rerelaylay teams. men’s race walk, Feng said. Xiuzhi, Ma Xuejun, Cheyang Sigya, Sun Boasting at least four gold hopes, the contingentngent is in position to sur- pass its haul at the Beijing Games in London, said ShanShangg XiutanXiutang,g, vice- president of the Chinese Swimming Administrativerative CenterCenter.. China claimed one gold, three silver and twoo bronze medals in BeijingBeijing four years ago, with favorite Zhang Lin becomingming the nation’s fi rst male Olympic swimming medalist. However, Zhangang was edgededged out of the London squad due to a slump that led to his failureailure in national qualifiqualifi ca- tion events. RESULTS AT PREVIOUS Highlights: 2011 World Aquatics OLYMPICS Championships men’s 1,500m 2004 Athens Games: 1 gold freestyle champion (world record), medal (women’s 100m breast- men’s 800m freestyle champion, stroke), 1 silver medal (women’s men’s 400m freestyle runner-up 4x200m freestyle relay) The Olympic rookie will shoulder 2008 Beijing Games: 1 gold medal China’s hopes in the men’s events (women’s 200m butterfl y), 3 silver in the pool after Beijing Olympic medals (men’s 400m freestyle, runner-up Zhang Lin missed out women’s 200m butterfl y, women’s on the London Games due to 4x200m freestyle relay), 2 bronze declining form. At the 2011 FINA medals (women’s 200m freestyle, World Championships, Sun broke women’s 4x100m medley relay) the world record in the 1,500m freestyle, long held by Australia’s China Daily’s gold-medal projec- Grant Hackett. tion for London: 4 gold medals YE SHIWEN, 16 ROSTER Birthplace: Hangzhou, Zhejiang Men: Chen Cheng, Chen Weiwu, province Chen Yin, Chen Zuo, Cheng Feiyi, Highlights: Dai Jun, Hao Yun, He Jianbin, 2010 FINA Huang Yunkun, Jiang Haiqi, Li Xiay- World Cup an, Li Yunqi, Lu Zhiwu, Shi Yang, Shi (Beijing leg) Tengfei, Sun Yang, Wang Shun, women’s Wang Chengxiang, Wu Peng, Xu 200m indi- Jiayu, Yang Zhixian, Zhang Enjian, vidual medley Zhang Fenglin, Zhou Jiawei gold, 400m Women: Bai Anqi, Chen Qian, Fang individual med- Yanqiao, Fu Yuanhui, Gao Chang, ley gold, 100m Ji Liping, Jiao Liuyang, Li Jiaxing, freestyle gold, 2011 World Champi- Li Xuanxu, Liu Jing, Liu Xiaoyu, onships women’s 200m individual Liu Zige, Lu Ying, Pang Jiaying, medley gold Qiu Yuhan, Shao Yiwen, Song We- The young swimmer has been con- nyan, Sun Ye, Tang Yi, Wang Haib- sidered a potential champion at the ing, Wang Shijia, Xin Xin, Yao Yige, London Games since she claimed Ye Shiwen, Zhao Jin, Zhao Jing, two gold medals in the women’s Zhu Qianwei 200m and 400m individual med- leys at the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games at the age of 14. It won’t be STARS TO WATCH a surprise if Ye, China’s youngest SUN YANG (below), 20 world championship winner, over- Birthplace: Hangzhou, Zhejiang whelms a veteran fi eld to win her LIU XIANG, 28 province fi rst Olympic title in London. Birthplace: Shanghai Highlights: 2004 Athens Olympic 110m hurdles champion, 2007 IAAF World Championships 110m hur- dles title, 2008 IAAF World Indoor Championships 60m hurdles title.