China plays down opening success at Athens
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2004-08-15 19:30

Chinese delegation has warned against any complacency despite the flying start on the opening day of the Athens Olympics.

China swept four gold medals along with one silver and one bronze on Saturday, the best ever performance achieved by China on the first day of the Olympics.

The medal winners in the Men's 10 meter synchronized springboard diving event stand on the platform at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Saturday, Aug. 14, 2004. From left: Silver medalists Leon Taylor and Peter Waterford of Great Britain; Gold medalists Yang Jingui and Tian Liang of China; and Bronze medalists Robert Newbery and Mathew Helm of Australia. [AP]

"We currently lead the gold medal table, but we should keep level-headed," He Huixian, the spokeswoman of the Chinese delegation, told reporters at the Main Press Center on Sunday. " The Olympics has just started, we still have a long way to go."

"We need to build on the good start to achieve more, otherwise it would be a flash in the pan."

He added that the joy in the four-gold triumph has been diluted by the loss in women's weightlifting 48kg class, where China had been most certain of winning the gold.

Li Zhuo, who held the world records of both the snatch and the clean and jerk before the Olympics, was upset by Turkish Nurcan Taylan on Saturday night.

"We underestimated our opponents," said He. "China used to dominate the women's weightlifting, but the dominance has been supplanted by the emergence of many powers," she added.

She also drew attention to the two golds in shooting, saying that the medals never come easy.

"The shooting competition is always very intense, and the two gold medalists didn't have smooth sailing yesterday," He said.

Du Li captured the first gold medal of the Athens Olympics in the women's 10m air rifle before Wang Yifu shot down the second gold for China in the men's 10m air pistol.

"Both won hard, as they had to come from behind to win," said He. "They won due to their strong mentality."

He also paid tribute to the Chinese divers who garnered two synchronized gold medals in women's three-meter springboard and men's 10m platform.

"We failed to win the two events despite high expectations in Sydney four years ago. The divers are still the same, but they succeeded this time.

"They were very confident and put in solid performances, showing strength in our favorite events."

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