Former Olympic champ predicts China to win five shooting golds

Former Olympic champion Zhang Shan said on Monday that Chinese shooters are able to grab five gold medals in the Athens Olympic Games, instead of three predicted by head coach Xu Haifeng.

Zhang, 1992 Olympic trap-shooting winner and now working as a Chinese Central Television commentator, said Chinese marksmen and women had made tremendous progress since the 2000 Games and were good enough to sweep five gold medals in Athens.

Zhang added Chinese sharpshooters are favored for the men's 10m air pistol, women's 10 air rifle, 25m sport pistol, skeet, trap and double trap.

Chinese head coach Xu has kept a low key, saying his team will secure two golds and strive for three.