Nicaraguan media highlight Chinese Olympic performance

Nicaraguan daily La Prensa published Monday on its first page the article "China, a New Olympic Power," in which it applauds the magnificent results achieved by Chinese athletes in Athens 2004.

The article, written by Pablo Fletes, said "the sensation left at the closing of the olympiad, is that China is fast approaching the top level of these competitions, as yesterday (Sunday) it ended in the second position just behind the United States."

"The US athletes won 103 medals, while the Chinese obtained 63. Nonetheless, the rivalry was in the quest for the gold, as the North Americans won 35, as compared to the 32 of the Asians, in a clear sign that by 2008, China could replace the United States and other traditional sport powers of the world.

"The Chinese never have won the Olympic Games, but in the last three editions they took a great step with 16 gold medals in Barcelona, for a fourth position; keeping the same position in Atlanta 1996, but in Sydney they moved to the third position with 28 gold medals," according to Fletes.

He highlighted that in "Athens they moved the Russians to a third position in the medal table and threatened to rise to the top in Beijing 2008, for which they are intensely working on such aspects as the development of infrastructure."

The Chinese pretend to have their sports facilities ready for the Olympic Games of 2008 "in a record time of two years ahead of the inauguration," said the journalist.