July 31, 2008	Thursday	Rajab 27, 1429

MADRID (Spain), July 30: Spanish athletics federation president Jose Maria Odriozola believes his country’s recent sporting success can carry over to the Beijing Olympics.

Odriozola announced the names of the 53 track and field athletes who will represent Spain in Beijing, and added he was confident that recent success in football, tennis and cycling would provide an extra lift.

“I hope we now can be the same in athletics,” Odriozola said on Tuesday. “I would love it if we could equal or surpass our medal total at the Barcelona Games.”

Spain won 22 medals, 13 of them gold, at the 1992 Games, including four in track and field. Odriozola believes that between eight and 10 Spanish athletes have a serious shot at medals this time.

“This will be one of the largest teams we’ve sent, but above all one of the most talented,” he said of the 32 men and 21 women who will comprise the squad.

Discus thrower Mario Pestano, race walker Francisco Javier Fernandez, steeplechaser Marta Dominguez and hurdler Josephine Onyia present the best candidates for gold next month, according to Odriozola. Fernandez set the 10,000-meter walking world record at the Spanish championships last Sunday.

Spanish Olympic Committee president Alejandro Blanco said winning six gold medals was a realistic objective, surpassing the three won at the 2004 Athens Games.

“We have a lot of possibilities,” Blanco said. “We’re counting on athletes that are bringing with them three or four years at the maximum level, internationally.”

Spain’s football team won the European Championship last month and Rafael Nadal followed that up by winning his first Wimbledon title. Carlos Sastre won the Tour de France last Sunday after 2007 Tour champion Alberto Contador had secured the Giro d’Italia in May.

Nadal, Sastre and Contador will all be representing Spain’s best gold-medal hopes, along with synchronized swimmer Gemma Mengual and the men’s basketball team, which comes in as the world champion. Spain is also the world champion in men’s handball.

“Spain will achieve the greatest results in its history,” Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said. “We have great expectations and conviction that they will do well.”—AP