Russian team in London smaller but stronger

 MOSCOW, July 17 (Xinhua) -- The Russian national team heading to the London Olympics will be smaller in numbers but stronger by quality than it was in the Beijing Olympics in 2008, Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko said.

"In numbers, we will be a bit smaller, but in quality the team is serious enough. It doesn't yield to that in Beijing and this gives us a ground to say we could perform better," Mutko told Xinhua.

In last week, President of the Russian Olympic Committee Alexander Zhukov announced the country will send 436 athletes to the London Olympics, slightly fewer than 467 in Beijing Olympics.

According to Mutko, the national team incorporated athletes specializing in Russia's traditional strengths, including gymnastics, weightlifting and shooting, though the country failed to win any of gold medals in these events in Beijing four years ago.

Moreover, the Russian athletes will compete in tawkwondo for the first time in London, Mutko said.

"That is, our sports program became wider," he said.

Also, the minister admitted that Russian athletes would hardly compete in the "completely Chinese" sports like table tennis, badminton, shooting and diving.

Mutko predicted that the Chinese team would gain some 16 to 18 gold medals in these events, while Russians would "dominate in two or three events only.""So, in others games we have to fight, to compete fiercely," Mutko said.

On the 2012 medal table, Mutko believes China is able to take the first place in London Olympics if the country could enhance its performance in athletics¹ and swimmingReferring to Russia's target in London, Mutko reiterated² that the Russian team faces a task to fight for the third place in the medal table.

However, "if we lose one or two medals and take the fourth place, it will not be a failure. We have to compete with the Games ' host, Britain, for 20 to 30 gold medals," Mutko said.

The London Olympic Games are slated³ for July 27 to August 12. Russia has set a minimum target of 25 gold medals in London, in a bid to reach a top three place in the medal table.

In 2008 Beijing Olympics, Russians won 23 gold medals for the third place, behind China (51 golds) and the United States (36).

1 athletics   

n.运动，体育，田径运动

参考例句：

• When I was at school I was always hopeless at athletics.我上学的时候体育十分糟糕。
• Our team tied with theirs in athletics.在田径比赛中，我们队与他们队旗鼓相当。

2 reiterated   

反复地说，重申( reiterate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• "Well, I want to know about it,'she reiterated. “嗯，我一定要知道你的休假日期，"她重复说。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Some twenty-two years later President Polk reiterated and elaborated upon these principles. 大约二十二年之后，波尔克总统重申这些原则并且刻意阐释一番。

3 slated   

用石板瓦盖( slate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Yuki is working up an in-home phonics program slated for Thursdays, and I'm drilling her on English conversation at dinnertime. Yuki每周四还有一次家庭语音课。我在晚餐时训练她的英语口语。
• Bromfield was slated to become U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. 布罗姆菲尔德被提名为美国农业部长。