BEIJING, Aug 8: China, which have never won an Olympic rowing gold medal, will begin the Beijing Games as genuine medal contenders in half of the events starting on Saturday after a stunning couple of years.

The impressive development of the Chinese squad, after it failed to win a medal of any colour in Athens four years ago, follows the recruitment of experienced foreign coaches and investment in the sport.

Their success has taken many nations by surprise and could overshadow some of the individual performances expected at the Games from the likes of Germany’s four-time Olympic champion Kathrin Boron, New Zealand’s Rob Waddell and Australia’s James Tomkins.

Rival rowers and coaches have praised the Chinese team although some have questioned whether the home course could in fact put the rowers under more pressure.

“Maybe the pressure is too much,” Germany’s head coach Michael Muller said this week. “It’s a very short and high development of performance in three years.”

China could pick up their first medal in the regatta’s first final in the women’s single scull and will start as favourites for gold in the women’s double, and pair.

They are also fancied to pick up medals in the women’s quad, lightweight double, men’s lightweight four and men’s eight.

Three-time Olympic Champion Tomkins, who is competing at his sixth Olympic Games, will contest the eight and is expecting a tough challenge from Canada and defending champions the United States.

He will also compete with Waddell, who has returned from a seven-year break spent sailing on the America’s Cup campaign, for the individual story of the Games if the New Zealand 2000 Olympic champion wins in his double scull.

Germany’s Boron should also make the headlines as she goes on the hunt for her fifth Olympic gold medal. However the Germans have been somewhat overshadowed since Athens by the fast three-time World Champion British crew and the Chinese.

Rowing begins at the Olympic Shunyi course on Aug 9 and finishes on Aug 17. The course has been praised by the rowers for being one of the best in the world but visibility has been poor in the smog in recent days.—Reuters