Facing a lot more pressure than novice Olympic athletes, former Chinese Olympic gold medalists who failed to defend their titles at the Beijing Games received warm comfort from the country's netizens.

"Don't be upset! You are still our hero!"

"Trust yourself! We will always support you!"

Chinese, who used to be intolerant about their athlete's failure during previous Games, left such messages on many Internet chat rooms.

The first surge of these comforting messages were for Du Li, the 2004 Athens champion for the women's 10-meter air rifle, who burst into tears after finishing fifth in the final.

"I've been longing to see the national flag rising here, I tried my best," the 26-year-old shooter said, choked with tears when being interviewed on China Central Television, the state broadcaster.

But for many TV viewers who had risen early to watch the live broadcast despite a serious delay in their usual bedtime for the Games opening ceremony the previous night, were calm about the outcome; media articles and TV programs kept telling people: "Take it easy, it's just a game."

"I heard all the hosts of the recent Olympic Games had failed to clinch the first gold, so why should we be an exception to that rule?" asked a 30-something woman from Beijing's Haidian District, who only gave her surname Ye.

Another victim of the rule was Tan Xue, China's only gold medal hope in the women's individual sabre fencing event. She bowed out after losing 9-15 to Russia's Sofiya Velikayas on Saturday.

"No matter what happens, we will love you forever. Anyway, you have the chance to prove your strength in the team competition," wrote netizen Xiao Fazai.

After Monday's men's 10 meter air rifle final, Chinese spectators at the Beijing Shooting Range were saddened to see Athens Games defending champion Zhu Qinan weep on the award podium for his narrow defeat to the new champion from India.

The 24-year-old was so upset he could hardly feel the joy of obtaining the silver medal.

"Don't cry, my hero. So far no athlete can secure the title in consecutive Games. You have many opportunities in future," netizen Zhu Youxiang wrote in a chat room.

After making "terrible mistakes" and failing to concentrate afterwards, the Chinese duo Yang Wei and Zhang Jiewen, the Athens badminton women's doubles champion, were eliminated by Japanese shuttlers in the quarterfinals on Monday.

"There are no general champion in the world. Learn from the failure and go on competing!" wrote netizen Bing Xueshuang.

Some netizens even wrote pre-match comforting messages for the possible loss of the nation's world champion hurdler Liu Xiang. They were discussing "what if he really failed" on the Internet.

An online poll shows 70 percent of the fans would calmly face his loss. Officials with the sports administration even advised the public to "forget about Liu for the moment."

While world-record holder Dayron Robles from Cuba appears to be in full stride, Liu is still building up his form for the Games. The 25-year-old gold medalist hopeful is apparently facing more pressure and difficulties than what many people think.

"It (the race) will be very difficult. No matter how Liu Xiang performs, he has already become the hero of Chinese people," said Xu Xiaoxiang from the eastern Zhejiang Province.

Liu will begin his title defense in the National Stadium, better known as the Bird's Nest, on Aug. 18.

Yao Ming, the Chinese flag bearer at the Game's opening ceremony, won even greater support. The NBA star anchored the Chinese basketball team to a 31-point loss to a star-filled United States team on Sunday. The margin was a historical low in terms of points gap in the two teams' Olympic match-ups.

"They lost the game, but they did not lose as athletes!" wrote an anonymous netizen.

A China Youth Daily commentary suggested Chinese should not exaggerate the significance of a gold medal and put athletes under unbearable pressure.

"We need to develop the confidence, rationalities, openness and tolerance matching with our identities as citizens in a fast-growing emerging country. From this aspect, to be a decent host is more meaningful and cheerful than to collect more gold medals," it said.

(Xinhua News Agency August 12, 2008)