China's NBA star Yi Jianlian headed a group of world and Olympic champions to unveil the outfits for August's Beijing Olympic Games yesterday at the Taimiao, or Imperial Ancestral Temple, inside the Forbidden City.

Chinese Athletes pose with new Olympic outfits at the Taimiao, or Imperial Ancestral Temple, inside the Forbidden City on May 12, 2008.

Yi, together with national basketball teammates Zhu Fangyu and Du Feng, taekwondo world and Olympic champion Luo Wei and weightlifting world and Olympic champion Zhang Guozheng, displayed the outfits and footwear made by Nike amid a gala that features wushu performances.

Nike has signed with 22 Chinese sports federations including athletics, swimming, basketball and tennis. That means the US-based sports company will outfit hundreds of Chinese athletes during the Beijing Games.

Yi Jianlian poses with new Olympic outfits at the Taimiao, or Imperial Ancestral Temple, inside the Forbidden City on May 12, 2008.

Unlike previous games, Nike had to design apparel for many new sports such as beach volleyball, fencing and equestrian. The company also made products for wushu, the sport for which a seperate competition will be held during the Games period.

Nike CEO Mark Parker said equipping so many Chinese sports teams might be the biggest challenge for the company so far, but he believes they have done the best job possible.

Their star Chinese clients include men's 110m hurdlers world record holder Liu Xiang and reigning Olympic champion and tennis Grand Slam women's doubles winners Zheng Jie and Yan Zi.

(China Daily May 13, 2008)