By Sportswriter Xu Zheng

    ATHENS, Aug. 10 (Xinhuanet) -- In the palpable heat of expectations for the Chinese sharp shooters, China is hoping to celebrate its first medal of golden tint from the shooting range in the Athens Olympic Games.

    From the time sheet and the Midas touch of their coaches, the Chinese marksmen and markswomen will most probably materialize their 3-gold trip to Athens to command a bright prospect for the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

    Xu Haifeng, head coach of the Chinese shooting team, said that "we can achieve our goal of gold medals should one third of our athletes perform to their forms in Athens."

    Should earlier scoreboards are of any significance, the Athens Shooting World Cup could be the most competitive testamur with allsuperpowers sending in their best shooters.

    The Russians, winners of the Athens World Cup with five golds, remain the hot favorites in the Olympics, with the Chinese loomingas their most obvious challengers with four golds.

    "The Russians are our strongest opponents," said Xu Haifeng, "They definitely have the best team in the world in the past years,and will surely challenge us in all of our gold-hopeful events in Athens."

    Besides, Germany also boasts of its dual Olympic champion Ralf Schumann, who struck the gold at the Athens World Cup and clinchedthe top spot in the world rankings of the men's rapid fire pistol.In the Athens World Cup, world men's rifle record holder Rajmond Debevec of Slovakia found his winning momentum again to claim a silver medal. Debevec, who holds the Olympic records in both preliminaries and finals, also climbed to the top of the rankings after winning a series of international tournaments in 2004.

    For the 26 Chinese Olympic shooters, the majority of them will savor their Olympic debuts when they line up along the Marko PulouShooting Range, some 40 kilometers from downtown of Athens. Yet, the young Chinese shooters are attempting to foresee their lifetime successes.

    "I hope to get a good score in the Athens Olympics, a medal is great," said 19-year-old Wu Liuxi, "I know it's hard, but everyonein the Olympics has the chance to become No.1."

    Several weeks ago, Wu shocked veteran Shan Hong to secure the last berth in the Chinese shooting squad by winning the last domestic trial, a historical chance for her to become the youngestOlympic shooting champion in China. And Wu is determined not to settle for the silver.

    "I am just a few steps away from fulfilling my dream. And I am going to fight tooth and nail to make the dream come true," said the 19-year-old.

    History is already made after China has secured 26 berths for Athens, with six of them gold medal hopefuls.

    "We have good shooters in women's pistol and rifle, men's pistol, running target and women's skeet," said head coach Xu, "Ofcourse, it's impossible for China to win all the hopeful gold medals in Athens."

    The inspirational Xu, who took the helm of the Chinese shootingteam after wining China's first ever Olympic gold in the 1984 Los Angles Olympics, has savored huge successes as a coach, empoweringhis shooters with self confidence through a series of uncanny experiences.

    The star-studded Chinese team, including Olympic champion Tao Luna, is aiming for three gold medals in the Athens Olympics to equal its feat in Sydney.

    China's Zhao Yinghui wins women's 10m air rifle title in the shooting competition with 501.4 points at the 14th Asian Games Oct. 2, 2002. (Xinhua Photo/File)

Veteran Wang Yifu

    Apart from Tao and veteran Wang Yifu, who made his Olympic debut in 1984, former world record holder Zhao Yinghui and world top-ranked Wei Ning will fancy their chances in the women's air rifle and skeet respectively.

    Zhao, who missed the first gold for China in Sydney four years ago, vowed not to repeat the tragedy in Athens."I came through huge pressure in Sydney," said Zhao, "After four years, I won't allow the things happen again in Athens. I was only 19 four years ago, now I am 23."

    Yet, China is not expected to have any easy sailing to Athens as Olympic dual champion Yang Ling, who failed to get any medals since 2003, becomes a striking absentee after he sprained his Achilles tendon during a badminton frolic.

    And Tao Luna has also been trapped into her lowest form since winning the Sydney Olympics as she failed time and again in the domestic trials. But Tao is still enlisted in the Olympic team."I believe Tao will recover on time for the Olympics," said head coach Xu, "And I am glad that she is improving steadily."Xu admitted that his shooters still need time to tune up for the closest competitions in Athens.

    "Our team isn't at its best now. I'd say we're at about 80 percent but we're improving swiftly. The more the times goes by, the better we will be," said Xu Haifeng.

    Following is the Chinese shooting team:

    Women: Tao Luna, Chen Ying, Ren Jie, Cao Ying, Zhao Yinghui, Du Li, Wu Liuxi, Li Qingnian, Wang Chengyi, Wei Ning, Gao E Men: Tan Zongliang, Wang Yifu, Yao Ye, Wang Zheng, Liu Zhiwei, Zhu Qinan, Jin Di, Hu Binyuan, Xu Dan, Geng Hongbin, Li Jie (Shandong), ZhangPenghui, Chen Yongqiang, Jia Zhanbo, Li Jie (Zhejiang). Enditem