Chinese enter record number of athletes

Updated 15.57 Fri Jul 25 2008

Keywords: Liu Xiang, China, Beijing Games, Russia, Yao Ming, Olympic squad

China has named its largest-ever Olympic squad in an effort to ensure the Beijing Games becomes the most successful in the country's history.

The hosts will field 639 athletes in 28 events and 38 disciplines, as they bid to surpass the haul of 63 medals, 32 of them gold, collected in Athens four years ago.

The hosts will field 639 athletes in 28 events and 38 disciplines, as they bid to surpass the 32 golds and 63 medals collected in Athens four years ago

The size of the squad dwarfs the British contingent, who number 313.

It also outnumbers the US team's 596 athletes and Russia, who are taking 470 athletes to the Chinese capital.

Liu Xiang, 110-metre hurdles Olympic champion, and Houston Rockets basketball player Yao Ming are the two most recognisable faces amongst a group whose average age is 24.2 years old.

The Chinese are traditionally strong in events such as diving, table tennis and badminton.

They are expected to dominate the badminton competitions and have entered the maximum of 19 competitors; they also boast the number one and two-ranked players in the women's game.

In the run-up to the games, however, China has targeted improved showings in sports such as boxing and shooting to improve its medal haul.