Former Olympic champion Zhang Shan has said that Chinese marksmen are capable of grabbing five gold medals at the Athens Olympic Games.

Zhang, the 1992 Olympic trap-shooting winner and now working as a Chinese Central Television commentator, said Chinese marksmen and women had made tremendous progress in recent years and were good enough to sweep five gold medals in Athens.

She added that Chinese sharpshooters are favored for the men's 10m air pistol, women's 10 air rifle, 25m sport pistol, skeet, trap and double trap.

Chinese head coach Xu Haifeng was more low key in his predictions, saying his team will secure two golds and strive for three.

(CRI August 10, 2004)