China posts greatest gold haul ever

BEIJING - China on Sunday ensured its home Olympics will go down as its greatest ever after its women’s table tennis team won the hosts’ 33rd gold of the Games to overtake its previous best tally at Athens in 2004.

The powerhouse country has progressively improved its medal standing over the past 20 years and is determined to beat the United States and end the Beijing showpiece as the world’s dominant sporting nation.

Publicly, China’s leadership have played down the country’s sporting ambitions but in reality its athletes have been under extreme pressure to perform well with nationalistic pride at stake.

In the drive to beat the previous mark, they are fielding 639 competitors in Beijing â€" up from the 407 sent to Greece.

The 33rd medal came when their women paddlers beat Singapore 3-0 in the team final, with Guo Yue and Zhang Yining clinching the decisive doubles rubber 11-8, 11-5, 11-6 in front of President Hu Jintao watching from the stands.

They also have 13 silver and 12 bronze, to the United States’ 19 gold, 21 silver and 24 bronze.