Chinese athletes are unlikely to win 44 gold medals in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games as claimed by some reports, a top Chinese sports official said in Beijing on Monday.

Cui Dalin, one of the assistants to the President of China State General Administration for Sports (CSGAS), said: "It is totally impossible for China to win 44 gold medals in 2008."

Feng Jianzhong, a deputy president of CSGAS, echoed Cui's view, saying that it is even as difficult as "climbing the sky" to get as many as what the country won in the 2004 Olympics.

China finished second on the medal standings by winning 32 gold medals, only three behind leader the United States.

Statistics showed that Chinese athletes won 28 gold medals in the world championships for Olympic sports, mostly from China's traditional territories of weightlifting, shooting, diving, table tennis, badminton, gymnastics and women's judo.

Feng said that people cannot expect too much from Chinese sports. "We must be realistic."

Cui Dalin was worried that China can hardly make breakthroughs from track and field, swimming and other aquatic events before 2008.

"If we cannot achieve good results from these events, where will those 44 gold medals come? It is totally impossible," said Cui.

(Xinhua News Agency December 28, 2005)