BEIJING, July 8 -- Germany's Klaus Siebert has been appointed head coach of the Chinese biathlon team, local media reported on Saturday.

Siebert, 51, a former world champion and coach of German double Olympic champion Ricco Gross, has signed a two-year contract with the winter sports center of the State General Administration of China, according to the China Sports Daily.

He is to help the Chinese team prepare for the 2007 Asian Winter Games on home soil in Changchun and the world championships later that year in Anterselva, Italy.

China's athletes have shown vast improvement in the past years, with Sun Ribo winning a world championship silver medal in 2005 in the women's 20km.