NBA star Dirk Nowitzki led perennial sports power Germany to march in the Olympic opening ceremony on Friday night.

The German team of over 430 athletes aim to match their modest results four years ago.

Having topped the Winter Olympics in 2006 though, the modest and precise Germans decide to keep their feet firmly planted on earth in Beijing as they aim to at least match the sixth-place finish they achieved in Athens.

"We have not set gold medal targets yet, but we aim to consolidate the status we have achieved in Athens. Because I believe the competition in Beijing will be very fierce," Thomas Bach, president of the German Olympic Committee (GOC), told Xinhua in an earlier interview.

The GOC downsized its expectation for Beijing based on the backslide in the last Olympics.

Germany won 57 medals including 14 golds to finish fifth on the medal tally in Sydney. In Athens, they managed 49 medals including 13 golds and was surpassed by the resurgent Japan, well behind the United States, China, Russia and Australia.

If they hope to stop the slide in the sweltering heat in August, the "ice and snow kings" had to fuel their medals drive on the traditional disciplines.

Canoeing, handball, women's soccer and equestrian are the Germans' favorite events in the summer Olympics.

In Athens, the German canoeing team gained four golds and nine medals in total. However, Germany's dominance in water sports might be dented with the retirement of 46-year-old ace kayaker Birgit Fisher, who has won eight gold medals over a record six different Olympics including twice representing East Germany.

With her absence, the 21-year-old Fanny Fischer, who has picked up two golds in the 2007 World Championships, is tipped to play a leading role in kayak's K2 class.

In the pool, Britta Steffen, former world holder of the women's 100 meters freestyle, is one of Germany's brightest prospects.

In team sports, after wining the 2007 World Cup in China, Germany's women footballers are good enough to topple the United States in the Olympic arena.

As the 2007 world champions, the German men's handballers hope to bounce back from the bitter defeat to Croatia in the Olympic finale in Athens and decide to grab their first Olympic gold medal in 28 years.

In hockey, Germany hopes to wrestle the Olympic crown from Australia.

Elsewhere, the German men's basketball team has booked a late ticket to Beijing as it survived a tough qualifying tournament.

Dirk Nowitzki, the NBA All-Star forward, together with powerful center Chris Kaman from Los Angeles Clipper, will make up the desirable inside dominance for Germany. Having never finished higher than seventh in the Olympics arena, the Germans have reason to go one better in Beijing.

In athletics, Germans can hardly challenge the United States and Russia, especially after Lars Riedel retired from a discus throw career that included an Olympic gold medal in Atlanta and five world titles.

Germany's equestrian team was deprived of three gold medals in Athens due to doping. German riders aim to prove their strength and reputation in the saddle.

(Xinhua News Agency August 8, 2008)