BEIJING, Sept. 12 (Xinhuanet) -- China's 74-strong Paralympic athletics team is hopeful to grab at least 11 gold medals in the upcoming 12th Summer Paralympic Games slated for Sept. 17-28 in Athens.

    The athletics team is the largest among the sport teams of the Chinese Paralympic delegation, accounting for one third of all athletes. Therefore, athletics will be a key sport where China has the high hopes for goal medal tally in Athens.

    Qi Dechang, coach for the running and jumping group of the athletics team, told Xinhua recently that as far as this group is concerned, Wang Fang (women's 200-meter, Class T36), Che Mian (men's 400-meter, Class T35), Hou Bin and Guo Weizhong for men's jumping, Zhang Haiyuan for women's jumping as well as Zhang Hongwei, Mai Wenjie and Duan Qifeng for men's triple jumping, will probably contribute 6 gold medals to the Chinese delegation.

    Meanwhile, a young generation of excellent running and jumping aces including Lin Yong, Guo Wei and Fu Xinhan, has already showed their potential.

    As for the throwing group, Sun Haitao (men's Shot put and Discus throw, Class F12) and Zheng Baozhu (women's shot put and discus throw, Class F 42) are both capable of delivering 4 gold medals altogether. In javelin throw, Yao Juan (Class F44) will be China's trump card. Another 7 athletes of the group will have the chance to win their events.

    The Paralympic athletics is open to all disability groups. It has 205 events (143 for men and 62 for women), including 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1,500m, 5,000m, 10,000m, marathon, shot put, javelin, discus, club, long jump, high jump, triple jump and pentathlon.

    Athletics was first included in the Paralympic Games program in Rome in 1960. Enditem