Six events expand China's gold prospects in London
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E-mail China.org.cn, July 23, 2012
In the seven previous Summer Olympic Games China has participated in, Chinese athletes have cumulatively won 163 gold medals in 18 major sporting events. In the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, 51 gold medals came from 15 major events. In the 2012 London Olympic Games, Chinese players will take part in 23 major events (26 in total) and 212 minor events. China is not only striving for new gains in its formerly strong areas, but also expecting to extend its supremacy to men's swimming, women's boxing, beach volleyball, water polo, synchronized swimming and cycling.
Men's swimming: in position to win gold
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Sun Yang has an overwhelming advantage in the men's 1,500-meter freestyle and the 400-meter freestyle. |
From 1992 to 2008, China's women swimmers won seven Olympic swimming gold medals. Changes are expected in London. Male swimmer Sun Yang has an overwhelming advantage in the men's 1,500-meter freestyle and the 400-meter freestyle.
In 2011, Sun broke the men's 1,500-meters freestyle three times, all at sub 14:43. In each case Sun had a nearly two second-lead against the second-place swimmer.
In the 400-meter freestyle, the three best performances of 2011 were made by Sun Yang and Korean swimmer Park Tae-hwan. Sun boasted the first and third best times that year while Park clocked the second best.
With these advantages, Chinese men's swimming team is poised to win its first Olympic gold medal in London.
Women's boxing: two medals expected
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Chinese boxer Li Jinzi is a potential gold-grabber in London. |
Since the 1980s, the Olympics have added new items with every new Games. China has benefitted from the newly-added contests of table tennis, badminton, women's weightlifting and women's wrestling. Women's Boxing is a new Olympic item this year. Chinese women boxers Ren Cancan of 51 kg and Li Jinzi of 75 kg are both potential gold-grabbers in London.
Women's boxing made its first appearance in the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games, in which Ren Cancan won the 51-kg gold medal. Ren also triumphed at the AIBA World Women's Boxing Championships held in Qinhuangdao, Hebei Province in May, 2012, winning her ticket to London.
Li Jinzi had one first-place finish and one runner-up finish at the world championships. In Qinhuangdao, Li lost to the England boxer Savannah. In London, to grab gold, Li's performance must trump her Qinhuangdao showing.
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