China's diving team very strong again

BEIJING, July 25 (UPI) -- Diving

Gold medals to be awarded: 8

Dates of competition: Aug. 9-23

Chinese athletes are expected to do well in a number of Olympic sports this year but they are expected to own the diving board.

It was in the sport of diving that China first began to be noticed as an international force and now there is hardly room for anybody else.

China won six of the eight gold medals at the Athens Olympics and won seven out of eight at both the 2007 World Championships and 2008 World Cup.

A Chinese diver has won the last five Olympic women's gold medals on the 3-meter board.

Guo Jingjing is the defending 3-meter champion and she is one of the most recognizable people in China. Her photo appears on everything from soft drink cups to the sides of buses.

She has plenty of teammates in both individual and synchronized diving who are capable of earning medals.