China Sends 639 Athletes to Olympics

China unveiled its largest team of 639 athletes Friday for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, vowing to win gold medals.

The Chinese Olympic Committee released the final roaster of 639 athletes in a gathering of athletes and committee members at the national sports agency and pledged victory in the Olympics.

Sports stars including basketball player Yao Ming, defending Olympic hurdles champion Liu Xiang, diving queen Guo Jingjing, China’s first Wimbledon semifinalist Zheng Jie will compete in 38 events in 10 sports.

The Chinese athletes are from 31 provinces and 42 of them are from 10 minority ethnic groups. Their average age is 24.4 years.

China’s 639-member national squad is the largest ever in the nation’s Olympic history, with 27 more than the 2000 Sydney Olympics, and 165 more than the 2004 Athens Olympics.

hic@donga.com