Wow I didn't know China won more gold medals than US in 2008 olympics

[Marzupialis]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Summer_Olympics_medal_table#Medal_table

Traditionally this has been considered the same as being on first place. The Chinese are good.

[abolugi]

1. The Chinese are like the

Soviet Union when it comes to training Olympic athletes.

"When China set up its sports and athletics program it followed the Soviet model for athletic development, and established a system in which promising youngsters were selected at a young age and sent to special state-sponsored "boot-camp-style" training centers, where they endured rigorous training programs and were prepared for international competition. Scouts from various sports crisscross the country looking for athletes with proper physique and skills"

http://factsanddetails.com/china.php?itemid=1008&

They are not as good as they are obsessed...

[bluedigger]

2. Well, they do outnumber us by a billion or so.

That helps. We'll get 'em this time, though.

[mathematic]

3. Absolutely

The Chinese are no joke. 1B+ people and a government committed to success in international sports competition helps a lot.

Their strongest events are things that involve balance, flexibility, coordination, or strength. They dominate diving, gymnastics, and table tennis. They've very competitive in weightlifting. They compete in Judo and Archery but I always get the feeling that they're only in those to stick it to Japan and Korea (respectively) for beating them in one of their national sports.

[jade3000]

4. I had no idea

Great statistic. I had no idea the Chinese were that strong in the Olympics. It'll be interesting to see what they do this year.