Impossible to beat US in Olympic medal haul
(Reuters)
Updated: 2005-11-10 17:23

SECOND TIER

Cui said he placed China on the same level as the second tier of sporting nations made up of Australia, Japan, Germany and France.

Though the U.S. topped the medals table in Athens with 35 golds, the fact that China finished just three behind prompted widespread speculation in the sporting world that the Chinese would easily dominate the Beijing Games four years later.

China's Tiantian Sun returns a shot during her women's singles match against Serena Williams at the China Open in Beijing September 21, 2005. [Reuters]

Chinese officials have been busy playing down such speculation ever since.

Cui said China's goal was to improve on its Athens medal tally but he considered that to be a great challenge.

"Our all-round strength is still not so high," he said. "There are some sports in which we are still relatively weak like athletics, swimming, rowing, sailing and canoeing and we don't do very well in ball games like basketball, soccer and volleyball."

Cui said China had 2,000 athletes training for the Olympics from which it would select a team for Beijing of more than 400 for the first time.

He said athletes would be encouraged with larger bonus incentives than for Athens when gold medallists were awarded 200,000 yuan. Silver and bronze medallists picked up 120,000 yuan and 80,000 yuan respectively.

The Beijing bonus had not yet been fixed, he added.

China collected some unexpected medals in Athens, notably the gold won by tennis women's doubles team Sun Tiantian and Li Ting.

"That was the most surprising one," Cui said. "Our performance level in tennis is quite low compared to other countries. But I think this type of case could happen again in Beijing."