Italy entered the Olympic opening ceremony at the National Stadium on Friday night.

Except the 1904 Games, the European country has appeared in every Summer Olympics, having won a total of 494 medals including 182 golds. Italy usually ranks seventh or eighth in the medal tally.

Its capital Rome hosted the 1960 Olympics.

For the Beijing Olympics, Italy has sent a team of 215 men's and 132 women's athletes, including Agnese Allergrini, the first Italian badminton player qualified for the Olympic Games.

Italy won 10 gold medals, 11 silver and 11 bronze in the Athens Olympics. President of Italian Olympic Committee Giovanni Petrucci has told reporters that it will be tough for Italy to claim more medals in Beijing than four years ago.

"If we could win about 30 medals in the Beijing Olympics and maintain our position in the medal tally, then we would have done a good job," said Petrucci.

The Italian flag bearer is five-time Olympian Antonio Rossi, who has captured three gold medals in canoeing over four Olympic Games.

(Xinhua News Agency August 8, 2008)