Though having topped the medal table at the 2006 Turin Winter Olympic Games, the modest and precise Germans decide to keep their feet firmly planted on earth in Beijing as they aims to at least match the sixth-place finish they achieved in Athens four years ago.

"We have not set gold medal targets yet, but we aim to consolidate the status we have achieved in Athens. Because I believe the competition in Beijing will be very fierce," Thomas Bach, president of the German Olympic Committee (GOC), told Xinhua in a May 29 interview.

GOC downsized its projection for Beijing based on the backslide in the last Olympics.

Germany won 57 medals including 14 golds and finished fifth on the medal tally in Sydney. But in Athens, they only won 49 in total with 13 golds and was surpassed by the resurgent Japan, well behind superpowers United States, China, Russia and Australia.

If they hope to stop the slide in the sweltering heat in August, the "ice and snow kings" had to fuel their medals drive on the traditional disciplines.

Canoeing, handball, women's football, and the equestrian are the Germans' favourite events in summer Olympics.

In Athens, the canoeing team gained four golds and nine medals in total. However, German's dominance on the water might be challenged with the retirement of 46-year-old ace kayaker Birgit Fisher, who has won eight gold medals over a record of six different Olympics including twice representing East Germany.

With her absence, the 21-year-old promising star Fanny Fischer, who have picked up two golds in 2007 World Championships, is tipped to play a leading role in kayak's K2 class.

Up to now, more than 200 German athletes have qualified for 29th Olympics, with a total of 450 expected to constitute the final delegation, the biggest in the Western Europe.

Among them, Britta Steffen, the former world holder of women's 100 meters freestyle, would become one of Germany's brightest prospects in the pool. However, the current holder and Sydney Olympics gold medalist, Libby Trickett from Australia, will pose threat to the 24-year-old German.

In team sports, after wining the 2007 World Cup in China, Germany's women footballers has the strength to clinch the gold and to overthrow the United States' longtime dominance in the Olympic arena.

As the 2007 world champions, the German men's handball team hopes to bounce back from the bitter defeat to Croatia in the finale in Athens and decides to grab their first Olympic gold medal in 28 years.

On the hockey field, Germany will hope to wrestle the Olympic crown from Australia and regain the world number one spot.

Elsewhere, German men's basketball team has not qualified yet as they finished fifth in the European Championships and missed the direct chance to progress early to Beijing. Dirk Nowitzki, the NBA All-Star forward-led team has still to battle for one of three tickets left in the Athens qualifying tournament from July 14-20.

Though the other 11 opponents including regional powerhouses like Greece and Brazil will make a desperate fight, Germany could still take the initiative as they were bolstered by the joining of Chris Kaman.

The powerful center from Los Angeles Clipper has accepted his German passport and will make up the desirable inside dominance together with Dirk. Having never finished higher than seventh in Olympics arena, Germans have reason to go one better in Beijing.

In athletics, Germans could hardly challenge the United States and Russia, especially after Lars Riedel retired early this month from a discus throw career that included an Olympic gold medal in Atlanta and five world titles.

Germany's equestrian team was deprived of three gold medals in Athens due to the accusation that the champion horses "gold fever", "cockatoo" and "gold love" had taken the performance enhancing drugs.

German riders aim to prove their strength and reputation in the saddle again this time especially after they won the world championships in Aachen earlier this month.

(Xinhua News Agency July 15, 2008)