550 Chinese athletes to compete at next year's Olympics

Altogether about 550 athletes will make up the Chinese delegation of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. The number was released at a press conference by the State General Administration of Sports.

448 athletes have already qualified to take part in 25 sports and 180 events at the Olympic Games. "We expect that a total of 550 athletes will qualify to take part in the Games", said Cui Dalin, Vice president of the State General Administration of Sports, to the press.

Next Wednesday, August 8, a celebration will be held to mark the one-year countdown to the Games. The event will take place at Tian'anmen Square in Beijing.

International Olympic Committee President Jaques Rogge will extend invitations to more than 200 delegates from National Olympic Committees around the world to attend the international event.

Normally these countdown events are held in Lausanne, Switzerland where the Olympic headquarters of the Committee are located. This year's event is the the first to be held in a host city.

Around 10,000 people are expected to watch the festivities. Chinese leaders, senior officials of the International Olympic Committee and representative Olympic sponsors will also attend the celebration.