BEIJING, Nov. 9 (Xinhua) -- More than five hundred Chinese athletes have qualified for the upcoming Beijing Olympics next year, said China's sports authority here on Friday.

    "514 athletes of 26 sports including 211 events have qualified for the competitions in the Olympic Games," said Cui Dalin, vice president of China's General Administration of Sport and vice president of the Chinese Olympic Committee at the press briefing about the preparations of the Chinese athletes.

    "Team China is expected to field 550 to 570 athletes in the 2008 Oympic Games, representing the largest group of Chinese athletes to attend any Olympic Games," Cui added.

    According to Cui, some 1,300 athletes from 55 national teams were currently in their final winter training sessions.