110 Argentine athletes obtained tickets for Beijing 2008

BUENOS AIRES, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Argentina has classified 110 athletes so far for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, including Chinese native table tennis player Liu Song, an investigation published by Clarin local daily said on Monday.

Argentina's greatest hopes for medals are in men's soccer and basketball, both defending their golds won in Athens-2004.

So far, 100 days prior to the Olympic Games, 110 Argentine athletes, 63 men and 47 women, have obtained Olympic Game passes.

Clarin's report stated that Argentine's men's and women's soccer teams, totalling 36 players, obtained their Olympic passes.

Meanwhile, table-tennis player Liu Song, has been Latin American champion in 1998, 2003, 2006 and 20007, together with Pablo Tabachnik.

Argentina will participate in many sailing events in the Olympic Games, for which it has 10 tickets and its best known representative will be Carlos Espinola, maximum Olympic medal winner: two silver in Atlanta-1996 and Sydney-2000, plus a bronze medal in Athens 2004.

Athletics has eight passes: Jennifer Dahlgren and Juan Cerra (hammer throw), German Chiaraviglio and Alejandra Garcia (pole vault), Javier Carriqueo (1,500 meters), Pablo Pietrobelli (javelin), German Lauro (shot put) and Claudia Camargo (marathon).

Swimming also has eight passes: two for women and six for men, while cycling has six berths. Judo has three, and three oarsmen, one beach volleyball athlete, among others.