Olympic Games 2004 in Athens

The year 2004 was intended to be a sort of athletic test run or intermediate stop for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. In the Chinese press, much advance speculation was made about who would take third place in the national rankings, as the first two places seemed to be assured the USA and Russia. Germany was considered a serious competitor for third place.

Olympic Medals 2000 in Sidney:					Olympic Medals 2004 in Athens:
Rang	Nation	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Nation	Gold	Silver	Bronze
1	USA	39	25	33	USA	35	39	29
2	Russia	32	28	28	China	32	17	14
3	China	28	16	15	Russia	27	27	38
4	Australia	16	25	17	Australia	17	16	16
5	Germany	14	17	26	Japan	16	9	12
6	France	13	14	11	Germany	14	16	18
7	Italy	13	8	13	France	11	9	13
8	Netherlands	12	9	4	Italy	10	11	11
9	Cuba	11	11	7	South Korea	9	12	9
10	GB	11	10	7	GB	9	9	12

China did surprisingly well, with 32 golds, 17 silvers, and 14 bronze medals. The greatest sensation among them was the gold medal won by Chinese sprinter Liu Xiang in the 100 m hurdles. Golds in diving, powerlifting, and shooting were more expected.

Doping problems

In the matter of doping, China was formerly most concerned about negative headlines. Seven swimmers were convicted of doping at the 1994 Asia Games. Shortly before the Olympic Games in Sydney, China made headlines because it suddenly decided not to permit twenty-seven athletes and twelve trainers to fly to Sydney. Just two weeks earlier, the IOC had approved new testing methods to detect blood doping.

For some, this was yet another indication that in China, systematic doping took place; for others, including Juan Antonio Samaranch, it was evidence that the Chinese government was taking on the problem of doping, and that the IOC's checking was becoming more effective. Since then, Chinese athletics officials have realized that doping rumors are bad for the country's image. At the Games in Athens, not a single Chinese athlete tested positive. A large portion of the medals were achieved in "clean" sports like high diving or shooting. Testing during training is permitted in China. Members of the IOC perceive the believability of the US track and field association more critically than that of Chinese efforts in the antidoping struggle.

Supporting sports in China - Planning for the 2008 Olympics

One reason for the Chinese teams' success is consistent support of even those sports that are only peripheral in the west. The stringent training methods stand out to western observers, while the sport promises the athletes themselves enormous economic and social opportunities. Considering that the average age of Chinese Olympic athletes is incredibly low, one can expect China to be the favorite contender for number one in the medal rankings.