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Fans expect China to surpass 38 golds at Tokyo Olympics, highest overseas
Chinese fans are expecting the Chinese delegation at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics to surpass 38 gold medals, to make China's gold medal haul the highest at an overseas Games.
China has a strong presence at the Tokyo Games, collecting 32 golds, 22 silvers and 16 bronzes as of Wednesday, ranking first in the Olympic medal count, ahead of world sports heavyweights the US and hosts Japan.
The previous record was set at the 2012 London Games, where China bagged 38 golds.
With the Olympics four days to go, China does have a chance to level and even surpass the 38-gold mark.
In table tennis, China has gold shots in both men's and women's team finals, as the Chinese teams on Wednesday both qualified for the finals.
The women's gold medal match will be played between China and Japan on Thursday - a rivalry since July 26 when Japan stunned China in the mixed doubles final.
The men's final will be played on Friday against Germany.
In the diving competitions, where China remains a dominating force, the women's and men's 10-meter platform finals will be held on Thursday and Saturday, respectively.
China's female diving aces Quan Hongchan and Chen Yuxi as well as men's legends Yang Jian and Cao Yuan are considered title favorites, but they have to outperform elite athletes from other countries first. Quan and Chen are set to compete in the women's final on Thursday.
In athletics, China has a talented squad in both men's and women's 20 kilometers racewalk, as the Chinese roster features world champions including female veteran racewalker Liu Hong, the defending champion in this discipline.
Male racewalkers Wang Kaihua and Cai Zelin will compete in the men's 20 kilometers on Thursday.
The Chinese athletes also have chances to vie for gold medals in boxing, cycling, wrestling and karate, making China's hopes of surpassing the 38-gold mark more realistic.
But there are also those who say whether the athletes make it to 38, their performance at the Tokyo Games has already been great.
"I think it might be disappointing if we are putting extra pressure on the athletes which ultimately ended with their underperformance," a fan posted on China's Twitter-like Sina Weibo.
"Finish the competition with what they've got and get back to China safe and sound is my sole expectation for them."
The delegation to the Tokyo Games is the largest one for China to an overseas Olympic Games, as it consists of 431 athletes in the 777-member delegation.
China only topped the Olympic medal count once at its home Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008.
China has a strong presence at the Tokyo Games, collecting 32 golds, 22 silvers and 16 bronzes as of Wednesday, ranking first in the Olympic medal count, ahead of world sports heavyweights the US and hosts Japan.
The previous record was set at the 2012 London Games, where China bagged 38 golds.
With the Olympics four days to go, China does have a chance to level and even surpass the 38-gold mark.
In table tennis, China has gold shots in both men's and women's team finals, as the Chinese teams on Wednesday both qualified for the finals.
The women's gold medal match will be played between China and Japan on Thursday - a rivalry since July 26 when Japan stunned China in the mixed doubles final.
The men's final will be played on Friday against Germany.
In the diving competitions, where China remains a dominating force, the women's and men's 10-meter platform finals will be held on Thursday and Saturday, respectively.
China's female diving aces Quan Hongchan and Chen Yuxi as well as men's legends Yang Jian and Cao Yuan are considered title favorites, but they have to outperform elite athletes from other countries first. Quan and Chen are set to compete in the women's final on Thursday.
In athletics, China has a talented squad in both men's and women's 20 kilometers racewalk, as the Chinese roster features world champions including female veteran racewalker Liu Hong, the defending champion in this discipline.
Male racewalkers Wang Kaihua and Cai Zelin will compete in the men's 20 kilometers on Thursday.
The Chinese athletes also have chances to vie for gold medals in boxing, cycling, wrestling and karate, making China's hopes of surpassing the 38-gold mark more realistic.
But there are also those who say whether the athletes make it to 38, their performance at the Tokyo Games has already been great.
"I think it might be disappointing if we are putting extra pressure on the athletes which ultimately ended with their underperformance," a fan posted on China's Twitter-like Sina Weibo.
"Finish the competition with what they've got and get back to China safe and sound is my sole expectation for them."
The delegation to the Tokyo Games is the largest one for China to an overseas Olympic Games, as it consists of 431 athletes in the 777-member delegation.
China only topped the Olympic medal count once at its home Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008.
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