Despite dismal results in recent meetings, all eyes will be on China's swimmers as they dive into Olympic reckoning at the 8th World Short Course Swimming Championships in Shanghai on Wednesday.

The four-day meeting may boast international superstars, a new venue and record participation from 128 different nations, but the prospect of China re-emerging as a swimming power in the lead-up to the Olympics is more intriguing for local fans -- and rival swimming coaches.

Following Montreal's World Championships last year, Dave Salo, head coach of the U.S. men's team, created headlines for questioning China's lack of performance in the pool.

"It's always going to raise suspicion if we get to Beijing and they haven't done anything for three years and all of a sudden we've got names that we've never heard of showing up in the finals," Salo said.

Salo may again be mystified at the Chinese team sheet, with the great majority of the 43-strong squad having never competed overseas, let alone taken medals.

One exception is women's 200m breaststroke champion, Qi Hui, who won bronze in that category at the 2003 world championships and gold at the short course world championships in 2002.

In the absence of Australia's champion Liesel Jones, Qi Hui has her best chance for hometown glory ahead of Beijing 2008.

Wu Peng will also be watched keenly after winning the men's 200m butterfly at a short course world cup event in New York in February.

But should China's team fail to make a big impression in Shanghai, questions will remain as to whether China's best swimmers are being put on the blocks.

John Leonard, head of the American Swimming Coaches Association, claimed last year that the Chinese were training their best swimmers in isolation, keeping them away from international competition until just before the Beijing Olympics.

China's national team coach Zhang Yadong was circumspect on his team's prospects in Shanghai.

"Lots of our athletes are not in great form," he told a local newspaper, adding that Athens gold medallist in the women's 100m breastroke, Luo Xuejuan, would miss the event through injury.

"But our goal is for overall improvement ahead of the Beijing Olympics."