Athletics starts at last as China flexes muscles

Ten days of elite athletics action begins in the main Olympic Bird's Nest venue today, giving the United States a chance to catch up with China in the battle for gold medals.

China go into the seventh day of the Olympics top of the medals table with 22 golds followed by America with 10 in a sporting rivalry reflecting Beijing's emerging superpower status.

Second in Athens in 2004, China is now mounting a formidable challenge to overtake the United States, playing to strengths in events like table tennis, diving, gymnastics and weightlifting.

The US squad expects to mount a comeback and increase its medal count in the futuristic Bird's Nest, which holds more than 90,000 people, starting the bid with the shot put.

It has been 48 years since one nation swept medals in that event, but US trio Adam Nelson, Reese Hoffa and Christian Cantwell have the skill to match their 1960 compatriots.

"I give it a 50-50 chance," said world champion Hoffa.

"I would love to be the class of Olympic athletes to sweep, but everything has to go right."

Twice an Olympic silver medallist, Nelson is the year's top thrower with 22.12 metres. All three Americans have personal bests ahead of their main rival, Andrey Mikhnevich of Belarus.

Australians Martin Scott and Justin Anlezark will be pushing to qualify for tonight's final.

Medals will also be awarded in the women's 10,000 metres, where Ethiopia's runners dominate and could bring some cheer to Africa which has had a disappointing Games so far.

Tirunesh Dibaba, who has two world championship titles, is favourite. She expects to run the 5,000m too and hopes to become the first woman to win the Olympic distance double.

"My expectation is that I will run both," she said. "It's being said that it's a little hot here, so the final decision will be made after the 10,000."

In what could be a tactical race, her older sister Ejegayehu and another Ethiopian, Mestawat Tufa, look set to help her and could end up on the medals' podium too.

Ejegayehu lost the 10,000m gold in embarrassing style in Athens, failing to react when a Chinese athlete, who she assumed was a lapped runner, swept past her at the death.

Meanwhile, whetting appetites for the blue riband race of the Olympics, the 100-metres men's final, the world's best sprinters will run the first two rounds of that event. Saturday's final is likely to have the widest world audience of the Olympics.

Events also beginning include the women's heptathlon, women's 800m, men's 1500m, women's 3000m steeplechase, men's hammer throw, women's discus and men's 400m hurdles.

- Reuters