Sweden made its 25th summer Olympic Games appearance on Friday night, wearing clothes provided by Chinese sports wear giant Li-Ning.

Sweden participated in the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 and has competed in all but the 1904 Games.

Three Olympic Games in 1916, 1940 and 1944 were cancelled due to the World Wars.

Sweden has collected 463 medals including 139 golds since three Swedes won the first Olympic medal in the tug-of-war competition in the 1900 Paris Games with the help of three Danes.

The heaviest load came in 1912 when Sweden hosted the Games in Stockholm and won 64 medals including 24 gold.

Sweden, traditionally strong in athletics, wrestling, canoe/kayak and shooting, sent 133 athletes to Beijing, aiming for eight golds and a top 20 placing.

Actually, the Swedes have already tried something of China before they landed on Beijing.

According to the sponsorship deal, the Swedish Olympic delegation wear Li-Ning for ceremonies, but the athletes won't wear China's top sports brand during competition.

Stefan Lindeberg, president of the National Olympic Committee of Sweden, expects the country to win medals in 20 to 25 events, including men's high jump, women's 100-meter hurdles and swimming.

The Swedish delegation boasts many big names, such as Olympic pentathlon champion Carolina Kluft, high jumper Stefan Holm and women's hurdler Susanna Kallur.

Table tennis legend Jan-Ove Waldner, the most known Swede to Chinese, will appear at the spectators stand instead of competition.

(Xinhua News Agency August 8, 2008)