When the 2004 Athens Olympic Games draws near, Chinese athletes are receiving more intensified trainings. In the meantime, sports administrative departments at all levels, including the State General Administration of Sport and the sports administration centers, are endeavoring to make earnest and careful preparation for the event. Xiao Tian, assistant minister of the State General Administration of Sport, revealed some details of their preparation work to china.org.cn in an recent exclusive interview.

China.org.cn: Do you have a target concerning the number of medals to win in Athens?

Xiao Tian: You know that we won a total of 28 champions at the Sydney Olympics, standing third on the gold medal sheet. For the Athens Games, we still aim at No.3 while striving to take the first place in the "second camp".

China.org.cn: Do you have in mind a specific number of crowns and other medals?

Xiao Tian: Generally speaking, we hope the total number of medals will surpass that of the Sydney Olympic Games, at which Chinese athletes snatched 59 medals. It's hard to estimate the actual number of medals since the conditions are rather complex. Usually, five or six athletes around the world, sometimes even more, are struggling for the same gold medal. It depends on each one's field performance. This Europe trip is far different from the last one to Sydney. For instance, Sydney and China share the same time zone; Chinese athletes feel at home while competing in Sydney because many overseas Chinese go to cheer for them. In Athens, however, the hot Mediterranean weather will probably affect the performances of our athletes.

China.org.cn: Who is China's No.1 rival?

Xiao Tian: The United States and Russia are still components of the "first camp," although recently there have been some changes: Russia seemed to be better than the United States. Of course, we have to wait and see. We are not as competitive as these two countries and that is why we belong to the "second camp". In this camp, Germany, Australia and France are most threatening to China. Germany, in particular, has a strong national team.

Recently, Germany came up with the goal to become No. 3 in terms of total medals. Their Olympic Committee and some training bases have implemented several methods to intensify training of their national team. Besides advanced sports facilities, Germany also has a competent research team and veteran coaches. Furthermore, various associations and business tycoons all give their full support to the German team, making it the biggest threat to China.

China.org.cn: So, compared with Germany, what are the advantages of China?

Xiao Tian: We are strong in some fields, including table tennis, badminton, diving, gymnastics, shooting, weightlifting and some branch events, where we have had advantages for a long time. Meanwhile, our superiority also lies in the competitive reserves. Actually, most of our advantages are in sports in which overall scores are tallied, and in hand-to-hand combat-type competitions. France and Germany are better in events based on physical strength, such as track and field, and swimming, where the referee has little effect on the result. As we all know, sometimes, the outcome of a tallied event is heavily influenced by the judgments of the referees.

China.org.cn: In addition to the most competent events, what else are China's possible medal-winners? Can you specify some of them?

Xiao Tian: Our latent forces include fencing, tae kwon do (Korean boxing), women's track cycling and some events in women's wrestling. What's more, we want to make a breakthrough and strive for the crown in some branch events in shooting and gymnastics, which we've never won the gold medal but are ready to get it now. In these events, to make a breakthrough means to win the champion, since our athletes had grabbed all other medals of them, including silvers. That is to say, our work will focus on these potential events.

China.org.cn: When will the Chinese delegation be set up and how many people will be included in it?

Xiao Tian: The deadline is July 21. Approximately, there will be 400 or more athletes, and the whole number of the delegation will reach 600, which will be the largest in history.

China.org.cn: After the list is submitted, will the administration make adjustments to it?

Xiao Tian: According to the requirement of the Athens Olympic Committee, an initial name list should be submitted for making ID cards. Any adjustment is allowed before July. So during the period, the sports administration will probably make some comparisons and changes, for example, the adding of the table tennis player Kong Linghui. In addition, field performing skills will also be taken into consideration. Some athletes are very competitive in domestic contests but cannot fully display their skills in international competitions, while others are just the opposite. In brief, the final list will be decided by different associations and the administration center before the last signing up of the national team.

(China.org.cn by Zhan Haitao and Li Xiao, May 21, 2004)