(From Reuters)
Heavy defeats in sports dominated by China in previous Olympics have left the country languishing in an unfamiliar third place in the medals table, with some predicting that Rio 2016 could see the country’s worst haul since 1996.
Chinese athletes have so far failed to defend their gold medals in sports from badminton to diving, being unceremoniously kicked out at early stages or having to make do with silver or bronze, leading the country to rank behind the United States and Britain.
“You’re kidding me? The country which has never finished above China is about to,” state news agency Xinhua said on its official English-language Twitter account on Monday, alongside a photo of the medals tally. The tweet has since been deleted.
China’s gold-medal count at the halfway mark in Rio stood at 13, far less than the 25 golds obtained by the same point in London. By Tuesday, the team had accumulated 48 medals — 15 golds, 15 silvers and 18 bronze. Read More