Athletics is the oldest competitive sport of all — the first ancient Olympic Games, in 776 BCE, featured a single event: a footrace the length of the stadium.
At the first modern Summer Olympics in Athens in 1896, athletics was one of the founding sports and has been considered the marquee event of the Games ever since. Women first competed in athletics in 1928.
Although China finished second in the overall medal table at Athens 2004 — its best result yet — the excitement was tempered by weak showings in team sports like basketball, volleyball and soccer, and in swimming and athletics, both of which award large numbers of medals.
At Beijing 2008, athletics events run over the final ten days of the Games (August 15–24) at the Beijing National Stadium. A total of 47 events are held, 24 for men and 23 for women (women don't contest the 50km walk); the men's 110m hurdles and decathlon are replaced for women by the 100m hurdles and heptathlon.
To show the world it can compete in disciplines where it has traditionally been weak, the Chinese government has poured huge sums into developing talent in recent years. One of China's athletics stars is Liu Xiang, who won gold in Athens in 2004 and is expected to do so again in 2008.
Experts also expect a wave of previously unknown young Chinese athletes to emerge just before the 2008 Games and surprise the world — time will tell whether that prediction holds.
Chinese medalists in athletics since 1984:
Athens 2004:
Liu Xiang (110m hurdles, M, gold)
Xing Huina (10,000m, W, gold)
Sydney 2000:
Wang Liping (20km walk, W, gold)
Atlanta 1996:
Wang Junxia (3,000m, W, gold)
Wang Junxia (10,000m, W, silver)
Wang Yan (10km walk, W, bronze)
Sui Xinmei (shot put, W, silver)
Barcelona 1992:
Qu Yunxia (1,500m, W, bronze)
Chen Yueling (10km walk, W, gold)
Huang Zhihong (shot put, W, silver)
Li Chunxiu (10km walk, W, bronze)
Seoul 1988:
Li Meisu (shot put, W, bronze)
Los Angeles 1984:
Zhu Jianhua (high jump, M, bronze)
