China to send 416 athletes to Rio 2016 as part of its largest ever Olympic delegation

The Asian country which finished second behind the US four years ago in London is leaving no stone unturned in its quest for Olympic glory. During a ceremony to unveil its Olympic team in Beijing, the government said it will be sending 416 athletes to Rio 2016 to compete in 26 sports. The contingent is made up of 256 women and 160 men.

'This is the largest ever Olympic delegation China has sent overseas,' Cai Zhenhua, deputy director of China's General Administration of Sport, said.

He added that the delegation has 711 members including 29 foreign coaches:

The youngest member of the delegation is 14-year-old Ai Yanhan, who will compete in the women's 200m freestyle and 4x200m freestyle relay, while the oldest is 39-year-old Beijing Olympics shooting champion Chen Ying.

China fielded 396 athletes in the London 2012 games.