China sending 416 athletes to Rio Olympics

BEIJING (AP) China is sending 416 athletes to the Rio de Janeiro Games, including 35 former Olympic champions, state media reported Monday.

China's contingent includes 160 men and 256 women, who will compete in 210 events across 26 sports, the Xinhua News Agency said.

China's entire delegation - including coaches and other staff - will be its largest ever overseas at 711, Cai Zhenhua, deputy director of the General Administration of Sport, was quoted as saying. Among them will be 29 coaches hired from overseas.

Dressed in their formal uniforms of red jackets for men and yellow for women, members of the delegation were addressed at the Great Hall of the People in central Beijing by leading Communist Party official Liu Yunshan, who urged them to display a ''high level of sporting ethics.''

China's youngest competitor is 14-year-old swimmer Ai Yanhan. Beijing 2008 Olympics shooting champion Chen Ying, 39, is the oldest and will be appearing at her fourth Olympics.

China topped the medal table in the 2008 Games and won the second largest number of medals at the 2012 London Olympics, including 38 golds.