The best result in the Olympic Games will be the gold medal. But the gold will not be the ultimate goal for every athlete in the quadrennial sports gala.

Jesse Smith, defender of the American water polo squad, said in Beijing on Wednesday that his expectation for the Beijing Games was enjoying the matches and walking away without regrets.

"I want to walk away feeling like I've tried my hardest and given everything that I can. If everyone on my team has given everything they can, that's total satisfaction for sure. And a gold medal would be a bonus,"said the 25-year-old Simth, whose team finished 7th at Athens Games four years ago.

"The feeling is more important than the medal. I hope everyone has an excellent time in Beijing and performs as best as they can," said the optimistic Smith, who just walked out of the Chinese Learning Center in the Olympic Village and tried to talk with Chinese volunteers.

"I think Chinese culture is very nice. It was just my first class and I will come back for more training. I'm trying to communicate," Smith added.

(Xinhua News Agency July 31, 2008)