Impossible to beat US in Olympic medal haul
(Reuters)
Updated: 2005-11-10 17:23

China, hosts of the next Summer Olympics, said on Thursday it would be impossible to overtake the medal hauls of the United States and Russia, not just in 2008 but for the foreseeable future.

Cui Dalin gestures at a rowing competition of the National Games in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province in this September 15, 2005 photo. He said Thursday that it is impossible for China to overtake the US and Russia in Olympic medal tally in the foreseeable future. [newsphoto]

Cui Dalin, China's deputy sports minister, played down prospects of a huge medals haul for the hosts at a news conference on the eve of celebrations to mark 1,000 days until the opening of the Beijing Olympics.

"Not only in 2008 but beyond, it's impossible to overtake the U.S. and Russian teams," he said.

He pointed out that though China had collected its best ever tally of 63 medals last year in Athens, the U.S. had won 103. "Elite sport in the U.S. is very strong," he said. "They are an elite power. The difference is obvious.

China finished second to the U.S. in the medals table in Athens, causing a number of surprises in sports where they had never been considered strong and edging traditional power Russia into third place in the medals table.

But Cui said though China won 32 gold medals to Russia's 29, the Russians had collected 92 medals overall and were still a stronger team.

"Finishing ahead of Russia was a happy coincidence," he said. "There were six team sports in which China and Russia were in the final and, fortunately, China won all six.

"If we had won only three of those, Russia would have still been ahead."