Fighting chances in London

By China Daily | China Daily | Updated: 2012-07-12 08:01

Performances in gold-rich combat sports - boxing, judo, taekwondo and wrestling -could decide how close China comes to the US in the medal count, China Daily reports.

Boxing

Chinese boxers will attempt to at least equal the two titles they won four years ago in Beijing. The women's event will debut this summer. Zou Shiming, the 49kg champion, is expected to defend his gold medal. Zhang Zhilei is in position to win the super heavyweight category. In the women's event, amateur world champion Ren Cancan is keen to claim the Games' first 51kg title, while Dong Cheng is punching for a medal at 60kg and Li Jinzi at 75kg.

RESULTS AT PREVIOUS OLYMPICS

2004 Athens Games: 1 bronze medal (men's 48kg)

2008 Beijing Games: 2 gold medals (men's 48kg and 81kg)

China Daily's gold-medal projection for London: 2 gold medals

ROSTER

Men: Liu Qiang, Memeturson Jon, Meng Fanlong, Wang Xuanxuan, Zhang Zhilei, Zou Shiming

Women: Dong Cheng, Li Jinzi, Ren Cancan

STARS TO WATCH

Zou Shiming, 31

Birth place: Zunyi, Guizhou province

Highlights: 2008 Beijing Olympics champion (men's 48kg)

Three-time World amateur champion (2005, 2007, 2011)

Dubbed the "pirate fighter" by the media, Zou won the Beijing Olympics' 48kg gold medal with a style that relies on mobility and counter-attacks. He hopes to repeat his success with a new approach now that opponents have adapted to his tactics.

Ren Cancan, 24

Birth place: Jining, Shandong province

Highlights: 2008 Beijing Olympics champion

Three-time World Amateur champion (2008, 2010, 2012)

Spearheading the three-strong women's team, Ren is a gold-medal contender. She became the first Chinese to win three titles in a row at the Worlds, but will face threats from host Nicola Adams and India's world champion, Mary Kom.

Fencing

Fencing will be a reliable source for gold medals, as the Chinese have legitimate chances in the men's foil and women's epee events.

Led by Lei Sheng, the men's foil squad defended its team crown at the World Championships last year while the women's epee team grabbed silver at the same tournament. Individually, world champion Li Na and the promising Sun Yujie are strong contenders in the women's epee.

The team has qualified in all 10 categories - six team and four individual.

RESULTS AT PREVIOUS OLYMPICS

2004 Athens Games: 3 silver medals (men's epee, team foil and women's sabre)

2008 Beijing Games: 1 gold medal (men's sabre)

China Daily's gold-medal projection for London: 0 gold medals

ROSTER

Men: Jiang Kelu, Lei Sheng, Li Guojie, Liu Xiao, Ma Jianfei, Wang Jingzhi, Zhang Liangliang, Zhong Man, Zhu Jun

Women: Chen Jinyan, Chen Xiaodong, Li Na, Luo Xiaojuan, Sun Yujie, Xu Anqi, Zhu Min,

STARS TO WATCH

Lei Sheng, 28

Birth place: Tianjin

Highlights: Two-time World Championships team foil winner (2010, 2011)

Boasting elite physical conditioning and reflexes, Lei has emerged as the new leader of the men's team following Zhong Man's slump. He will lead a promising cast fighting for team gold while also competing for an individual medal.

Li Na, 31

Birth place: Dandong, Liaoning province

Highlights: 2006 World Championships team epee title

2011 World Championships individual epee title

Competing in the women's epee, world champion Li Na is the team's strongest medal contender. After claiming China's first world championship in the event last year, Li will fight for a perfect ending to what might be her Olympic finale.

Judo

With the retirement of 2008 52kg winner Xian Dongmei, the Chinese won't likely be able to emulate their three-title finish. They will instead aim to thrive in lighter classes and the men's category.

"We will try our best in every category," head coach Fu Guoyi said. "We hope we can make some breakthroughs in the men's event."

Tong Wen, the +78kg champion, remains the team's top gold hope, while reigning 78kg women's champion Yang Xiuli has recovered from a career dip in recent years.

On the men's side, Alamus from the Inner Mongolia autonomous region is the only judoka qualified for the Olympics. The 23-year-old will compete for the men's 60kg title.

RESULTS AT PREVIOUS OLYMPICS

2004 Athens Games: 1 gold medal (women's 52kg)

2008 Beijing Games: 3 gold medals (women's 52kg, 78kg and +78kg)

China Daily's gold-medal projection for London: 1 gold medal

ROSTER

Men: Alamus

Women: Chen Fei, He Hongmei, Tong Wen, Wang Hui, Wu Shugen, Xu Lili, Yang Xiuli

STARS TO WATCH

Tong Wen, 29

Birth place: Tianjin

Highlights: 2008 Beijing Olympics champion (women's +78kg)

Four-time World Championships titleholder at +78kg (2005, 2007, 2009, 2011)

The +78kg-class judoka Tong Wen has rekindled her gold hopes after winning an appeal against a two-year doping ban last March. The 29-year-old dominated at the Paris Worlds last year.

Yang Xiuli, 28

Birth place: Fuxin, Liaoning province

Highlight: 2008 Beijing Olympics champion (women's 78kg)

Yang will try to defend her title in the 78kg class, but it won't be easy. She has been plagued by a shoulder injury in recent years.

Beach volleyball

China's beach volleyball team will not be able to repeat its success at the Beijing Games from London as there will only be two pairs in action.

China's women's beach volleyball pairs shone on home sand at the Beijing Olympics, bagging silver and bronze medals. Beijing Games runners-up Xue Chen and Zhang Xi, ranked No 2 in the Olympic standings, are expected to challenge for the women's title. Not much is expected from the men's pairing.

RESULTS AT PREVIOUS OLYMPICS

2008 Beijing Games: 1 silver medal, 1 bronze medal (women)

China Daily's gold-medal projection for London: 1 gold medal

Roster

Men: Wu Penggen, Xu Linyin

Women: Xue Chen (above left), Zhang Xi (above right)

STARS TO WATCH

Xue Chen, 23

Birth place: Fuzhou, Fujian province

Zhang Xi, 27

Birth place: Nantong, Jiangsu province

Highlights: 2008 Beijing Games bronze, 2011 World Championships bronze

The women's pair has performed well this year. It won the Brasilia Open title in April by overwhelming Brazil's world No 1 combination of Larissa and Juliana in the semifinals, and then upset another pair from the host country, world No 4-ranked combo Talita and Antonelli, in the final.

However, Xue damaged ligaments in her right foot during the semifinals of the Sanya Open, where the Chinese duo finished third. It hopes Xue will be fully fit before the Olympics.

Taekwondo

Wu Jingyu, the 2008 49kg champion, has rediscovered her form just in time to defend her title.

Roster

Men: Liu Xiaobo

Women: Wu Jingyu, Hou Yuzhuo

Wrestling

Wang Jiao is ready to defend her title in the 72kg freestyle.

Roster

Men: Li Shujin, Liang Lei, Liu Deli, Sheng Jiang, Zhang Chongyao

Women: Jing Ruixue, Wang Jiao, Zhao Shasha

Cycling

Cycling could provide the icing on the cake if short-distance sprinter Guo Shuang rides smoothly in her pet event, the individual pursuit.

Roster

Men: Cheng Changsong, Liu Gang, Tong Weisong, Zhang Lei, Zhang Miao

Women: Gong Jinjie, Guo Shuang, Huang Li, Jiang Fan, Jiang Wenwen, Liang Jing, Lin Junhong, Liu Xin, Shi Qinglan, Wu Chaomei

Sailing

Roster

Men: Deng Daokun, Gong Lei, Shi Jian, Wang Aichen, Wang Weidong

Women: Huang Xufeng, Li Ling, Wang Xiaoli, Xu Lijia

Canoeing

Roster

Men: Huang Maoxing, Huang Zhipeng, Li Qiang, Shen Jie, Zhang Hongpeng, Zhou Peng, Zhou Yubo

Women: Li Zhangli, Liu Haiping, Ren Wenjun, Wu Yanan, Yu Lamei, Zhou Yu

Kayaking

Roster

Men: Hu Minghai, Huang Cunguang, Shu Junrong, Teng Zhiqiang

Women: Li Jingjing

Modern pentathlon

Roster

Men: Cao Zhongrong, Wang Guan

Women: Chen Qian, Miao Yihua.

Synchro Swimming

Roster

Women: Chang Si, Chen Xiaojun, Huang Xuechen, Jiang Tingting, Jiang Wenwen, Liu Ou, Luo Qian, Wu Yiwen, Sun Wenyan

Rowing

Roster

Men: Huang Zhe, Sun Jie, Wang Tiexin, Wu Chongkui, Yu Chenggang, Zhang Guolin, Zhang Liang, Zhang Fangbing

Women: Gao Yulan, Huang Wenyi, Jin Ziwei, Liu Jing, Tang Bin, Zhang Xiuyun, Wang Min, Xu Dongxiang, Tian Liang, Zhang Yage, Zhang Yangyang, Zhu Weiwei

Water Polo

Roster

Women: Gao Ao, He Jin, Liu Ping, Ma Huanhuan, Song Donglun, Sun Huizi, Sun Yating, Sun Yujun, Teng Fei, Wang Yi, Wang Ying, Yang Jun, Zhang Lei

Hockey

Roster

Women: Cui Qiuxia, De Jiaojiao, Fu Baorong, Gao Lihua, Li Dongxiao, Li Hongxia, Liang Meiyu, Ma Wei, Ma Yibo, Peng Yang, Ren Ye, Song Qingling, Sun Sinan, Tang Chunling, Wang Mengyu, Xu Xiaoxu, Zhang Yimeng, Zhao Yudiao

Triathlon

Roster

Men: Bai Faquan Women: Zhang Yi

Volleyball

Roster

Women: Chu Jinling, Shan Danna, Wang Yimei, Hui Ruoqi, Ma Yunwen, Mi Yang, Wei Qiuyue, Xu Yunli, Yang Junjing, Zeng Chunlei, Zhang Lei, Zhang Xian

Archery

Roster

Men: Dai Xiaoxiang, Liu Zhaowu, Xing Yu

Women: Cheng Ming, Fang Yuting, Xu Jing

Rhythmic Gymnastics

Roster