Китай / People's Republic of China

The host nation of the 2008 Olympic Games, the Chinese have had success in many sports since returning to the Olympic fold after an agreement was brokered by the IOC in 1979.

Although China competed at the Winter Olympic Games in 1980 and 1984, it was the appearance of their team – 216 members competing in 19 sports – at the Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Games that made a lasting impact.

In the first event at those Games, shooter XU Haifing won the men's free pistol to become the first Chinese to win gold. Gymnast LI Ning collected three gold medals, two silver and a bronze, making him the outstanding individual performer of the Games.

China's women won the volleyball tournament. ZHOU Jihong's success in the women's platform diving in 1984 started a trend of success in the sport.

Chinese diver FU Mingxia Minxia has won four gold medals from three Olympic competitions. She first took gold in the 1992 women's 10m platform inn Barcelona, won the springboard and platform competitions in 1996 and won the 3m springboard again in 2000. Her record was emulated by GUO Jingjing, who won gold in the women's 3m springboard and in the synchronised springboard in 2004 and 2008.

Table tennis has been dominated by Chinese players since its introduction to the Olympic programme. They won all four gold medals in Sydney 2000 and in Beijing 2008 they took every medal open to them.

WANG Nan won the women's singles and doubles gold at Sydney 2000, added another gold in women's doubles at the Athens 2004 Games, and was part of the victorious Chinese women's team in Beijing.

DENG Yaping confounded those who felt she was too small to succeed in table tennis. She won gold in women's singles and doubles at the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games and repeated the feat at Atlanta 1996. She was later elected China's female athlete of the century.

ZHANG Yining was the outstanding individual player in Athens and Beijing. She won singles and doubles gold in 2004 and singles and women's team gold in 2008.

LUO Guoliang won the men's singles and doubles gold in 1996 in Atlanta. MA Lin later won three gold. including the men's singles, in Beijing in 2008.

China have also excelled in badminton. They achieved a clean sweep of gold medals at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. GAO Ling has won four Olympic medals, more than any other player. Her gold medals came in the women's doubles in 2000 and 2004.

Chinese competitors took part at the Los Angeles 1932 and Berlin 1936 Games and a swimmer took part in Helsinki in 1952.

Hurdler LIU Xiang became the first Chinese male track gold medallist with his victory in the 110m hurdles at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games.

In Beijing, he aggravated an injury while warming up for his heat and was unable to compete.

Swimmer WU Chuanyu was the first Olympian from the Peoples Republic of China to compete at an Olympic Games. He took part in the men's 100m backstroke at the Helsinki 1952 Olympic Games.