China's biathletes are likely to win more gold medals at the 6th Asian Winter Games as they hit good form in the shooting leg, the weak plank Chinese players had in the past competitions.

Biathlon comprises cross-country and shooting, and the athlete with the best combined results wins.

"I can't say that we will definitely win gold but we indeed have a good team, especially for the women's team," said Klaus Siebert, head coach of the Chinese biathlon squad on Saturday.

"We are here bidding for victory. The more , the better."

In the 2003 Asian Winter Games held in Aomori, Japan, the Chinese women's biathlon team claimed two golds out of 10km pursuit and 4x6 relay competitions.

The Chinese women pulled out superb run to finish third place in a relay competition of the biathlon World Cup held in Hochfilzen, Austria, last season where they really improved a lot in shooting.

However, the Chinese men biathletes have to face an uphill battle to win a medal at the coming Asian Winter Games, according to Siebert, the former German biathlon Olympic champion.

"Except Zhang Chengye, other male athletes are too young and inexperienced. They need to work a long way to catch up with the top biathltes in the world," said Siebert, who has been working with the Chinese team for six months with a contract lasting to 2008.

Zhang, who made the breakthrough at the 2003 Asian Winter Games for China in the snow sports by lifting a bronze medal of the cross-country skiing sprint, will compete in both biathlon and cross-country events at Beidahu ski resort, one hour's drive from Jilin city.

Liu Xianying and Wang Chunli, the key players from the women's team, are in the same boat with Zhang.

"It is too bad for my players to race in two competitions, because they are changing all the time. The players need consistency but we just don't have enough players here in China. I hope I can have a fixed team next season."

(Xinhua News Agency January 27, 2007)