Hosts China announce biggest-ever Olympic team of 639 athletes
25/7/2008 16:47
Beijing Games hosts China will send their biggest-ever Olympic team of 639
athletes to compete on home soil next month.
The 1099-strong delegation also
include 460 officials for the Games to be opened on August 8, according to
deputy chef de Mission Duan Shijie in Beijing today.
Men's 110 meters
hurdling Olympic champion Liu Xiang, NBA star Yao Ming and diving queen Guo
Jingjing will spearhead the biggest squad in Beijing to compete in all 28
sports.
Shooter Tan Zongliang, 37, is one of the three athletets making their
fourth Olympic trip. The other two are basketballer Li Nan and Guo, two time
Olympic champion on women's springboard.
Thirty-seven athletes of the team
will enjoy their third Games while 165 have been to Athens.
"I'm getting
better with good training and no injury. All I have to do in the Olympic track
is to beat myself," said Liu, who became the national hero by winning Chinese
men's first-ever athletics Olympic gold medal in 2004.
In a ceremony held at
the announcement of the delegation, all the present members pledged, facing the
Chinese national flag, that they will complete clean and fair, respecting
opponents, judges and spectators.
The Chinese delegation also include 42
minority athletes, participating in 18 sports, and 38 foreign coaches including
men's basketball manager Jonas Kazlauskas of Lithuania.
The full list will be
revealed later at the Beijing Olympic Games official website.
Xinhua
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