Venezuela ended 2007 with 54 athletes qualified for the 2008
Olympic Games, just over half the goal set by the nation's Olympic
committee, local media said on Thursday.
Recent qualifiers include Venezuelan fencers Silvio Fernandez
and Ruben Limardo; 800 meters runner Edwar Villanueva; and
taekwondo's Dalia Contreras, Adriana Carmona, Carlos Vasquez and
Juan Diaz.
The nation has already beaten the 51-athlete score set in 2000's
Olympics in Australian city Sydney and the 47 in 2004's Olympics in
Greek capital Athens.
The nation's sports minister, Eduardo Alvarez Camacho, said that
Venezuelans will enter 18 Olympic qualifiers over the next six
months which could give places to 50 Venezuelan athletes
altogether.
"All the competitive teams and individuals are in permanent
training aiming to qualify for the Games and our goal it to get
close to 100," he said. He listed volleyball, boxing, judo and
wrestling as leading candidates.
(Xinhua News Agency December 28, 2007)