Athens Olympic champions will lead the Japanese Olympic delegation to Beijing, aiming to create a new medal record to follow the stunning victory in 2004.

Powered by a maturing batch of female athletes and a renaissance in judo, swimming , wrestling and gymnastics, Japan swept 16 gold medals in Athens. The last time they won that many was in the 1964 Games in Tokyo.

In each of the four Olympics before Athens, Japan had never garnered more than 10 golds.

Most of Japan's Athens winners will make it to Beijing.

Judokas seized half of Japan's golden haul in Athens.

Tadahiro Nomura, 34, is looking forward to winning his fourth consecutive Olympic gold in the men's 60kg class while the leading heroine of Japanese judo Ryoko Tani is going for her third straight title in the women's under-48kg division. The 33-year-old keeps a record of seven world titles.

"If we win two gold medals on the first day of judo, the momentum will spread to swimming and athletics," said Haruki Uemura, general manager of Japanese delegation. Judo competition starts the day after the opening ceremony on August 8.

The judo team contains seven newcomers and as many Athens veterans including six defending champs. However, it won't be easy for Japanese judokas to beat their Athens record, after they under-performed in the 2005 and 2007 world championships by collecting three golds apiece.

Double swimming champion Kosuke Kitajima shattered the men's 200m breaststroke world record in Japan Open on June 8, which had been kept by archrival Brendan Hansen of the United States since 2006.

Having never beaten Hansen since 2005, Kitajima bettered the world record by slipping into his controversial Speedo's LZR Racer for the first time. The good news for Kitajima is that Hansen will only participate in the men's 100m breaststroke as the American disqualified in the 200m at the United States trials. But both swimmers will wear the record-breaking suit.