China praises gold haul as sign of its rise
BEIJING (Reuters) - A haul of Olympic gold by China and other Asian nations shows their growing strength in and out of the sports arena, and Western powers should prepare for more such challenges, Chinese official media said on Thursday.
Six days into the Beijing Games, China sits on top of the gold medal table, with victories in gymnastics, diving, weightlifting and shooting giving it 17 to the second-placed United States' 10 by the end of Wednesday.
Even with the U.S. and other big sports powers likely to beat China in the big track and field and swimming races to come, the Chinese-language People's Daily said Asian success so far showed the region's rising strength.
"The growing redirection of Olympic gold medals is because the old disparities between competitive sports levels due to historical and economic causes is being constantly overturned," said a commentary in the overseas edition of the ruling Communist Party's paper.
"This also means the traditional sporting powers face stronger and stronger challengers."
Chinese officials have often publicly downplayed their country's chances of beating the United States in the overall medal tally, and the front-page commentary reflected that modesty -- praising overall Asian success, rather than China's dominance.
But the country's state-run media exuded confidence that the country's economic rise would bring it more sports glory. This year, China is likely to overtake Germany as the world's third biggest economy, behind Japan and the United States.
A commentary by the Xinhua news agency noted that China was once called the "sick man of Asia".
"China has risen in the world's east as a sporting power," it said. "Development and progress in sports is a miniature of national development and progress."
The United States must now perform "outstandingly" in track and field and swimming to beat China in the overall gold tally, said the China Youth Daily.
(Editing by Nick Macfie)
(chris.buckley@reuters.com; +86-13501014479)
