BEIJING, Feb. 8 -- Chinese athletes are banking on snow for the Turin Winter Olympic Games, which will open in Italy on Friday, after staging their strongest show ever on snow in the Summer Olympics in Athens in 2004 with 32 gold medals, the China Daily said.

    China claimed its first Winter Olympic gold medal from short track speed skating at Salt Lake City in the United States four years ago.

    The record 76-athlete team for Turin has, for the first time ever, an overwhelming number of snow event competitors compared to ice event competitors.

    China's first Olympic medal on snow was won by Xu Nannan at the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics and the women's freestyle aerials team has big hopes to repeat that this year.

    "Our team is strong as a whole and no matter who misses the Games, we are confident of good results at Turin," said Li Nina, China's first freestyle skiing aerials world champion.

    Besides the freestyle aerials event, China also has eyes on better results for the biathlon.

    With Chinese athletes reaching the top three positions at last season's world cup series and 2005 Biathlon World Championships, China is now more confident in this event.

    "The best result that China achieved in this event is fifth and our women's team is strong at present," said Wang Yitao, secretary general of the Chinese team. "We hope for better results than at the last Games."

    Wang said China is weak in some snow events like snowboarding, ski jumping, Alpine skiing and cross country skiing.

    Pan Lei, who claimed silver at last year's Universiade, and Sun Zhifeng, 14, the youngest athlete in the Chinese team, will make their Olympic debuts in Turin.

    China will also participate for the first time in ski jumping, with five skiers.

    (Source: Shenzhen Daily/Agencies)