Chinese President Hu Jintao and Vice President Xi Jinping have visited China's Olympic team. The two top leaders gave their regards to athletes and coaches and wished them success at the Beijing Summer Games.
The President and Vice President visited China's Olympic athletes at one of the country's most advanced training camps.
14 sport teams train here. They're all part of China's largest ever Olympic delegation.
In the Gymnastics Hall, President?Hu Jintao?watched the athletes' intensive preparations for the Games. And he was impressed by the team's performance.
Hu Jintao said, "I am so proud to see you training so hard with such high intensity. I hope you keep training in a scientific way to improve your capabilities and maintain top form to achieve excellence at the Beijing Olympic Games."
Table tennis is widely regarded as China's national sport and Chinese players have won 16 gold medals in past Olympics. The national team's training was something the President couldn't miss.
The team gave Hu Jintao and Xi Jinping pairs of bats with every team member's signature. President Hu said he would treasure the gifts and signed another 3 bats to give back to the team.
Hu Jintao said he was happy to see the team training well and he would wait for their good news at the upcoming Beijing Games.
The leaders then went to the basketball stadium and watched the national team train. All the big names were there, doing their best to improve teamwork. Hu Jintao asked star center Yao Ming about the recovery of his left ankle fracture and told him to be careful in the warm-up competitions.
Before he left, Hu Jintao called on the team to demonstrate the Chinese spirit to the world.
In the athletes' canteen, Hu Jintao was shown how food is prepared for the Olympic team. He asked the chefs there to serve the most nutritious and delicious meals possible for the athletes.
Hu Jintao and Xi Jinping also saw an exhibition on Olympic anti-doping history and called on the Chinese delegation to be role models of clean competition in the Games on home soil.
(CCTV July 24, 2008)
