The arrival of Olympic sailing teams reached its peak as sailors from 42 countries and regions had checked in at Qingdao Olympic sailing center as of Monday, just ten days before the opening of the Beijing Olympics.
Forty-three sailors and thirty officials from ten countries and regions, including Britain, China, Dominica, Uruguay, Hong Kong, Slovenia, arrived at Olympic co-host city Qingdao of east China's Shandong Province Monday, according to sailing committee (Qingdao) of BOCOG.
Kotenkov, team leader of Russian sailing team, said when he landed at Qingdao international airport Monday afternoon that the Russian sailors to participate in the eleven Olympic sailing events were all young people. "We expect for two medals this time," he said.
Australian sailor of tornado class Darren Bondock had been to China for five times and been training for three years for the sailing events. "I have no concrete object for the competitions but to win," he said with confidence.
According to Qingdao Olympic Sailing Committee, at least 295 sailors and officials from forty-two countries and regions had arrived at Qingdao as of 5:00 p.m. Monday.
"The number of arrived teams was increased greatly from Sunday and it would have another climax just before the opening of the events", said Feng Xiao, sailing venue manager of the Arrival and Departure Center of Qingdao Olympic Sailing Committee.
"But the number does not include those who were not received by our staffs at the airport," noted Wu Fan, airport manager of the Arrival and Departure Center.
According to BOCOG, a total of four hundred sailors from sixty-two countries and regions had registered for the events, among which names of thirty eight sailors from fourteen countries and regions were not confirmed.
(Xinhua News Agency July 29,?2008)