But is this relentless Asian Games medal-winning country getting stronger or weaker?
And with the Beijing Olympics just two years away, is the country with the world's biggest population, estimated to be 1.3 billion people, ready to dislodge the United States from the top of the medal chart at the world's biggest sporting event?
Certainly China's Doha gold-fest surpasses their Busan 2002 tally of 150 gold. And, yes, their overall total of 316 is far higher than the 258 they scooped four years ago.
But it is 18 down on their best ever haul - 183 in 1990. And although China passed the 2,000 all-time Asian Games medal mark during Doha 2006, they are still some way behind Japan's all time Games total of 2,433.
The fact is, China could, had it wished, have increased its medal tally at Doha 2006. But with Beijing in mind more than 400 of the 647 competitors it sent to Qatar had little previous major international games experience.
For every Liu Xiang, China's world record-holding men's 110m hurdler, who easily retained his Asian Games crown in Doha, or Guo Jingjing, the so called 'diving diva' who scooped gold in what is surely her last Games, there were many more new names competing and winning on the international sporting stage for the first time
Take 13 year-old diver Chen Ruolin, who won the women's synchro 10m platform, or 16 year-old gymnast He Ning, who won in the women's all around final.
China also supplied 12 of the 17 athletes to win at least three gold medals at the Games, including women's swimming champion Pang Jiaying, who was a quadruple gold medallist, or men's gymnast Yang Wei, winner of the men's all around gymnastic title.
All this suggests China is building impressively for Beijing and the 15th Asian Games should be viewed with this in mind. Domination on home soil really would be progress.
15th Asian Games, Doha 2006
Posted December 17th, 2006 by COBA
