By Gu Jianjun, post doctorate with the Central Compilation and Translation Bureau
 
The  grand opening ceremonies of the 31st Summer Olympic Games was held at Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro at 7:00 am Beijing time，August 6.  The Chinese Olympic team was led by Fencing champion Lei Sheng as its flag-bearer. Valiant Chinese athletes feel confident to achieve remarkable results at the Rio Olympics.

The Rio Olympic Games covers 28 major sports with 306 minor one. 10,500 athletes from over 200 countries and regions are scheduled to participate.

The Chinese Olympic delegation has 711 members, including 416 athletes and 29 foreign coaches, which is the largest ever Olympic delegation China has sent overseas. Ai Yanhan, 14, is to compete in the women's 200m freestyle and 4x200m freestyle relay as the youngest member of the delegation, while Beijing Olympics shooting champion Chen Ying, 38, is the oldest athlete who is on her fourth Olympic trip.

The Chinese Army has many excellent athletes, including Lin Dan, Sun Yang, Zhang Jike, Li Xiaoxia, Du Li and 35 other Olympic champions. It is the first time for 70% of its teammates to  participate in the Olympic Games. Accordingly, the team with young and experienced athletes may set more glory in Brazil and introduce a new wave of champions.The Chinese athletes will compete in 210 events over 26 sports  except handball and rugby in the Games. Some sports competitions include archery, modern pentathlon, weightlifting, diving, synchronized swimming, gymnastics, trampoline, rhythmic gymnastics, basketball, table tennis, badminton, and golf. There are also 6 teams for team games, including women's volleyball, women's soccer, and men's basketball. In China, the Summer Olympics is considered a final exam for participating athletes. In the next 16 days, Chinese Olympic athletes will represent the country.

Since 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games, many Chinese athletes have won Olympic medals, including Xu Haifeng, the women's volleyball team, Liu Xiang, and Sun Yang. Generations of sports stars have inspired their Chinese compatriots. Winning gold medals enhances greater national pride and boosts self-confidence.

At the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, Chinese athletes won 32 gold, 17 silver and 14 bronze medals, ranking 2nd next to the United States. In 2008, Beijing hosted the Olympic Games for the first time, Chinese athletes won 51 gold medals, surpassing the US for the first time, but the US still ranked first with total medals. At 2012 London Olympics, China's gold medals and medals still ranked second overall.

So far, the grand total of medals won at the Summer Olympic Games China stands at 473, including 201 gold, 144 silver, and 128 bronze medals. At the Rio Olympic Games, the Chinese delegation hopes to set another record with most medals won. 

In the 26 major competitions the Chinese athletes are participating in, China is expecting to grab gold medals from traditionally strong sports such as table tennis, badminton, diving, gymnastics, shooting, weightlifting, along with the potential to win gold or silver in swimming, track and field athletics and fencing. Chinese women's volleyball team coached Lang Ping said she expects her team to win gold.

On Sunday, Chinese athletes had won three gold medals at the Rio Olympics. The 25-year-old Zhang Mengxue won China's first gold medal by claiming the women's 10m air pistol title. China secured the first diving gold medal of the Rio Olympics when Wu Minxia and Shi Tingmao won the women's synchronised 3m springboard. And Chinese lifter Long Qingquan claimed his second Olympic gold medal when he won the men's 56kg weightlifting event with a world record total of 307kg.

With an improving of Chinese Track and Field athletics team, Chinese women's volleyball and golf teams, Chinese athletes are striving to perform their best ever in the Olympic Games. In front of the world’s stage, Chinese athletes are showing a relaxed attitude and demonstrating confidence in Rio.

( The opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Panview or CCTV.com. )

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