COC to aim for top 16 in Beijing Olympic medal tally

(BEIJING, March 17) -- The Canadian mission is to be in the Top 16 for the Beijing Olympic medal tally, Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) President Michael Chambers told a Xinhua reporter in Havana, Cuba on Sunday.

Chambers spoke during a press conference in Havana, where he was on an official visit to increase mutual cooperation between Cuba and Canada on sports development.

"The Beijing Olympics will attract top athletes from all over the world to compete for their best performance, so the competitions must be very fierce. And I expect Canada can stay in the Top 16," he said.

Counting the Canadian national baseball team, who has just pinned a Beijing Olympic ticket, a total of 290 Canadian athletes have qualified for the Beijing Olympic Games to date.

Canada collected 13 medals in the 2004 Athens Olympics, including three gold, six silver and three bronze medals, and placed 21st in the medal tally. Their best medal achievement in the century-old history of the Olympics was fourth place in St. Louis 1904 with six medals and Los Angeles 1984 with 44 medals.