Despite poor performances in athletics, Britain ranks seventh in a table of 26 Olympic sports and is on track for fourth place when London hosts the Games in 2012, the British Olympic Association (BOA) said on Tuesday.

The BOA published a statistical analysis of world performances among the Olympic sports on the programme for London 2012 which found that Britain's medal table position in 2006 was unchanged from 2005.

But, in an encouraging sign, 13 different sports contributed to the seventh position compared with nine in 2005, Chief Executive Simon Clegg told a news conference at BOA headquarters in southwest London.

Britain had nine world champions in seven Summer Olympic sports in 2006 -- badminton, equestrianism, gymnastics, judo, rowing, sailing and triathlon

"The results across our Olympic sports in 2006 show that...success is being built across a broad range of sports with many sports medalling for the first time or the first time in a number of years."

Britain was 10th in the medals table at the Athens Olympics in 2004.

The blue riband Olympic sports had not been successful in 2006, however, and they had to be tackled at junior level.

"It goes without saying that we would like to see swimming and athletics where there are high numbers of medals available, performing at a significantly higher level," Clegg said.

BOA chairman Colin Moynihan added: "There is some outstanding talent at junior level in athletics...the main issue is to ensure that talent is not wasted," he said.

Moynihan said the BOA was looking on the 2008 Beijing Olympics as a stepping stone towards greater success at home four years later.

"2008 is not primarily medal driven. It's seeing significant improvement in our squads that will see results in 2012."

Statistically competitors were more likely to win medals if they had experience of a previous Games, so some younger athletes would be taken along to Beijing for the experience.

The 2012 Games was also about a legacy, Moynihan said. Countries who hosted Olympics did well and continued to do well at the next Games, he said, citing the examples of South Korea in 1988 and Spain in 1992.

He said fourth for Britain in 2012 was a challenging but achievable target. "I think China will be awesome in 2012. I think the Americans will be very strong and Russia will be strong...also Germany, France, Australia," he added.

"I am totally committed to our aspirational target of fourth place in 2012."