Chinese multiple world champion Li Xiaopeng, who failed to win a gymnastics title in Athens, is putting his eyes on the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

His coach Chen Xiong told Xinhua on Friday in the training gymnasium that the Chinese leading gymnast is recovering from injury and his loss in Athens but does not lose confidence.

"The Athens Games is really a heavy blow for him. For the last four years, he has been preparing and it turned out to be a nightmare," Chen said.

"He needs time to regain the form but even now, he has strong desire to continue for the next four years."

Chen believed the 23-year-old has the ability to go on till the Beijing Games.

"He would be 27 then, not that young for a gymnast, but he is such a genius and I am sure that he could remain competent that long," Chen said.

The Sydney Olympic champion was expected to win at least two gold medals in Athens but returned with only a bronze on parallel bars.

He echoed China's poor showing on his other specialty vault. He found himself sitting on the mat after his first attempt and trailed in seventh place.

Li gave up the floor exercise due to his Archilles' tendon injury, which has been a long annoyance but aggravated during a training right before the Games.

"Now he is still receiving treatment. Although operation is not necessary, it could take him about two month to fully recover," Chen said.

"It is not clear now whether he could compete the world cup finals in December. We hope to. But definitely, he would have no competition, except the world cup final, for the rest of this year," he said.

Chen, also deputy head coach of the Chinese team, would leave next week with six gymnasts for the two world cup events in Scotland's Glasgow and Belgium's Gent respectively.

(Xinhua News Agency October 23, 2004)