HIGH EXPECTATION

Looking into the first Olympic Games to be hosted in China, many people expect the country to make a breakthrough and top the gold medal list.

Table tennis, badminton, diving, shooting, weightlifting and gymnastics are six major sports that are supposed to produce at least three gold medals each. Thus Chinese athletes are expected to reap some 37 to 45 gold in this Olympics .

However, the expectation was shadowed by the "home disadvantage", which imposes more pressure on athletes.

Amid the pressure, many former Olympic champions were shut out of the sports gala, including taekwondo gold medallist Luo Wei, weightlifter Zhang Guozheng and long-distance runner Xing Huina.

"We shouldn't pay too much attention to the gold medals," said Deng Yaping, a former table tennis player, who had bagged four Olympic gold medals.

"What is more important lies behind the medals -- courage and persistence. They are the spirit of sports," she said.

(Xinhua News Agency June 19, 2008)