More than 500 Chinese athletes will participate in the Beijing Olympics held from the 8^th to the 24^th of August. China can count on a large number of talented athletes to keep the medals at home. The up-and-coming stars also look very promising.

China's sports stars

Yao Ming:
From his 2.29 meters tall, Yao Ming is the most famous sportsman in China. The Houston Rockets' center is the first Chinese to play for an NBA team. He symbolizes ultimate success for millions of young people. Yao Ming has recovered 80% of his capacity after he injured his foot and has found a welcoming Chinese national team to play with for the Olympics.

Liu Xiang:
The 24-year-old Liu Xiang has become a real idol in China ever since he won gold for the 110 m hurdle race in Athens by beating the world record. He is also the first Chinese athlete to ever win a medal in athletics; he's also been world champion since 2007. This year, the young star is under a lot of pressure to perform not forgetting that the Cuban athlete Dayron Robles just set a new world record on June 12^th at 12.87 seconds.

Tan Xue:
A Tianjin native, the young fencer confirmed her rank in 2004 with a silver medal after winning the world championships in 2002. Trained by the Frenchman Christian Bauer, she is one of China's main hopes for gold. She has also been spotted by the Chinese Communist Party, and was the youngest member of the 17th Communist Congress.

Guo Jingjing:
The diver Guo Jingjing is highly visible in China since her 2 gold medal wins in Athens. She regularly made the news with her many emotional outbursts, so much so that she was excluded from the national team before rejoining because advertising contracts were too big to ignore. She won't be allowed to make mistakes during the Beijing Olympics.

The Chinese Hopefuls

Guo Yue :
At 19, Guo Yue has been world champion since 2007 and tops the International Federation of Table Tennis ranking. After taking bronze medal in doubles in Athens, she is expected to win an individual gold at the Beijing Olympics, in particular because of her aggressive game.

Li Xiaopeng:
Li Xiaopeng isn't new on the athletic scene: he is already an Olympic artistic gymnastics champion. His return at age 27 closes the parenthesis of a 3 years break due to repeated injuries. He will nevertheless need to compete for a spot on the Olympic team at the next national championships. He is eagerly awaited for his specialty, the parallel bars.

Huang Shanshan:
At 49 kg and 1.57 meters, Huang Shanshan is a force to be reckoned with in the Chinese trampoline world. She came in second at the World Championship in 2007, made an impressive showing at the pre-Olympic qualifiers last December and hopes to do better than her Athens bronze medal.

Xing Huina:
She shocked the world by surprise in 2004 when she won the gold medal in the 10,000 meters, putting an end to the Ethiopian monopoly. After years of uncertainty and repeated injuries, she should make a good showing in 2008 to defend her title. She is currently training in the U.S. to get stronger.

3 questions to Zhang Jilong, director of Sports Department of BOCOG (Beijing Olympic Committee)

Text : Nicolas Sridi - July 2008