Chinese president praises athletes' performance at Athens

Chinese President Hu Jintao (C) shakes hands with a member of the returned Chinese Olympic Delegation during a meeting with the delegates in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 2, 2004.

President Hu Jintao congratulated the returned Chinese Olympic delegation on the athletes' outstanding performance at the Athens Olympic Games during a meeting with them Thursday.

Hu said the indomitable spirit and ethics the China's athletes demonstrated during the 17-day games "greatly enhanced Chinese people's self-confidence and sense of pride, and have become a strong spiritual force to push forward our cause."

He also called on Chinese athletes to remain clear-headed and be aware of their shortcomings at the time of the historic victory.

He encouraged Chinese athletes to strive for good performance at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and make bigger contribution to China's endeavor to build of a relatively affluent society in an all-round way and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

Hu also urged the Beijing Olympics Organizing Committee and relevant departments to learn from the successful experience in Athens and to make the Beijing Olympic Games an excellent event through good preparation.

Wu Bangguo, chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, Premier Wen Jiabao and Vice President Zeng Qinghong were also present at the meeting held in the Great Hall of the People.

After the meeting, a reception was held to celebrate the Olympic delegation's return.

According to the final medal table of the Athens Olympic Games, China won 32 gold medals, 17 silver medals and 14 bronze medals, making this the country's highest-ever Olympics gold medal tally.

State leaders toast for Chinese Olympic athletes at the meeting in Beijing on September 2.

China reaches Olympics targets

And their achievement in Athens has greatly boosted their confidence and helped to mature the ranks for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Yuan Weimin, Minister of the State General Administration of Sports, said at a meeting Thursday at the Great Hall of the People in the Chinese capital.

Yuan was also the chef-de-mission of the Chinese Olympic delegation.

China won 32 gold, 17 silver and 14 bronze medals to be second only to the top-ranked United States (35-39-29) in the Athens Games final medal standings. Chinese athletes set six world records and 17 Olympic marks. They won medals in 55 events of 18 sports, compared with their medal performance in 47 events in 12 sports four years ago in Sydney. And 235 athletes qualified for the finals in 107 events of 23 sports.

China maintained its dominance in such sports as diving, shooting, table tennis, badminton and weightlifting, Yuan said.

Chinese athletes made impressive progress in fencing and women's cycling, wrestling and archery. And they scored a major breakthrough in such sports as athletics, swimming and rowing and canoeing, where they grabbed four golds and two silvers, he added.

Yuan picked up the women's volleyball team as a good example of fighting spirit and high moral, who regained the Olympic title after 20 years' hard efforts.

What is more, the sports chief said, none of the 152 Chinese athletes who were dope-tested in Athens has returned a positive result.

The Chinese minister urged Chinese athletes to calm down, make a cool-headed analysis of what happened in Athens, sum up their experience and work out solid and practical plans for their preparations for the next Olympic Summer Games four years later in Beijing.