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China athletes return to heroes' welcome
(Agencies)
Updated: 2004-08-31 16:25

China's Olympic athletes, who won a record 32 gold medals in Athens, arrived in Beijing on Tuesday to a hero's welcome from dozens of dancers, drummers, a brass band and throngs of wellwishers.

Chinese Olympic athletes display the flag for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games in front of government officials during a welcoming ceremony in Beijing after the Olympic Games August 31, 2004. [newsphoto]

More than 200 members of the 407-strong Chinese Olympic team were met at Beijing's international airport by families, friends and autograph-seeking spectators waving flags, flowers and banners.

Politburo Standing Committee member Li Changchun met the delegation at the bottom of the aeroplane steps. Children wearing red scarves saluted them and handed them flowers.

"I feel awesome!" men's 110 m hurdles gold medallist Liu Xiang said.

Liu Xiang waves to wellwishers after arriving at the Beijing Capital International Airport, August 31, 2004. [Xinhua]

Asked if he now planned to go to the United States to train, he said: "No, I won't. I'll keep working with my coach here because, after all, I'm no worse than they are."

China's gold medal tally was a record for the country and enough to secure it second place in the standings behind the United States, after surprise wins on the track, in tennis and rowing.

Beijing hosts the next Games in 2008 and Chinese sports authorities have viewed Athens as ideal training for its young athletes to perform even better on home soil.

"We saw our weaknesses," international basketball player Yao Ming said of the Chinese team's disappointing seventh-place finish.

"In preparing for 2008, our 24 team mates need to learn from our valuable experiences from this Olympic Games."

Xing Huina, who won a surprise gold in the women's 10,000 metres, said she was happy to be able to make a contribution for her country.

"I feel very happy, very proud," she said. "As a Chinese person, I'm very proud."

Feng Kun, captain of the women's gold-winning volleyball team, felt equally patriotic.

"These results are the product of the concern of the party and government and of the strong support of society," she said.

"They do not just belong to the individual athletes who won the medals, but also to the motherland and the people."

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