China is
fielding its largest-ever Olympic team at the upcoming Beijing Games, with 639
athletes competing in all 28 sports.
The team was unveiled Friday, at a
rally in Beijing. The contingent includes Yao Ming, a member of the U.S.
National Basketball Association's Houston Rockets, and defending 110 meters
hurdling gold medalist Liu Xiang.
Of the 639 members of the Chinese
team, 165 participated in the Athens Games four years ago, while 40 of them took
part in the 2000 Sydney Games.
The delegation will also include 460
coaches and other officials, bringing the total size to nearly 1100.
The
Chinese team will attempt to surpass the 32 gold medals won at the Athens
Olympics, four less than the United States.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters