America is racing ahead of China in terms of their sporting prowess so any talk of the 2008 Olympic host topping the gold-medal table next summer is "unrealistic," local sports officials said at a recent press conference .

A gymnast jumps above a foam rod held by a coach during a training session at the General Administration of Sport in Beijing November 9, 2007. [Agencies]

"The United States is the strongest power in the world and the gap between us is becoming wider and wider," said Cui Dalin, vice-minister of the State General Administration of Sport (SGAS).

In the last three years, the United States has won 31 world titles in athletics and swimming, two major sports in which China struggles.

"China has never expected to top the Olympic medal tally (in Beijing)," he said. "It is not a realistic goal for us."

At the 2004 Athens Games, the United States led the medal tally with 103 medals (36 gold), followed by China with 63 medals (32 gold). Russia was third with 27 gold but 92 medals in total.

"Russia is also very strong. It is very hard to beat these two powerhouses."

China has medal hopefuls in sports like table tennis, badminton, gymnastics, diving, shooting, women's taewondo and weightlifting, he said, but there are still many areas of weakness.

To date, 514 Chinese athletes have qualified for 211 events in 26 Olympic sports. The Beijing Games will feature 28 sports and 302 events.

"China will try to increase the number of qualified athletes to between 550 and 570 - the largest number in the country's Olympic history," Cui said.

Now 55 national teams comprising nearly 1,300 athletes are training intensively across the country.

China's shooting team collected four titles in Athens and is already training at the Beijing Shooting Range, the next Olympic venue.

"We should make good use of our home-court advantage," said Wang Fangyue, coach of female Olympic air rifle champion Du Li.

Du is expected to claim the first gold of the Olympics next summer.

"There is a lot of pressure but we are trying not to think about it too much," Wang said.

"Mental health is very important in this sport and we have taken many measures to cope with this."