Some of China’s world champions and Olympic medal hopefuls are taking the week off to fulfill their political duties as delegates at the 17th National Party Congress of the Chinese Communist Party in Beijing.

Over 2,200 participants from across the country are gathered in the capital for the twice-a-decade convention, in which major personnel changes are expected to be announced at the end of the eight-day schedule.

Despite its small size, the 27-strong panel representing China’s athletic sector is among the groups winning more attention than others at the gathering one year before the 2008 Olympics.

The list of delegates includes names of nation’s best-known Olympic champions, 2008 Games gold medal hopefuls, coaches and national sports administrators.

World 110m hurdle record holder Liu Xiang, a Party member now training along in Shanghai camp, didn’t attend, but his coach Sun Haiping came to Beijing last week busy with interview requests.

Basketball star Yao Ming is not a Party member.

Of all athletes, 47-year-old Wang Yingfu is the oldest, winning two golds in shooting in 1992 and 2004 Olympics. Fencing world champion Tan Xue, 23, is the youngest among all Party Congress delegates.

Olympic diving champion Tian Liang set the record of being the youngest delegate at the age of 23 at the 16th Party Congress in 2002.

Aside from the athletes, chiefs of State General Administration of Sport are other familiar names at the congress.

Liu Peng, a former vice provincial governor, is known for guiding the nation’s top sports body towards the 2008 Olympics during his tenure, while vice chief Cai Zhenhua, a former table tennis world champion, made his name by steering a once sluggish table tennis national team into the world's best.

	Zhang Yining Olympic champion in Athens 2004/ Women's singles and Women's doubles
	Wang Nan Olympic champion in Sydney 2000, Athens 2004/ Women's singles and doubles
	Du Li Olympic champion in Athens 2004/ Women's air rifle
	Sun Tiantian Olympic champion in Athens 2004/ Women's doubles
	Gao Ling Olympic champion in Sydney 2000, Athens 2004/ Badminton mixed doubles
	Zhou Suhong Captain of women's national volleyball team Olympic champion in Athens 2004/ Women's volleyball
	Yang Wenjun Olympic champion in Athens 2004/ Men's 500m Kayak doubles
	Chen Yanqing Olympic champion in Athens 2004/ Women's 58 kg
	Wang Yifu Coach in chief of China's national shooting team Olympic champion in Barcelona 1992 and Athens 2004/ Men's pistol
	Gong Zhichao Olympic champion in Sydney 2000/ Women's singles
	Tan Xue Olympic silver medalist in Athens 2004/ Sabre women's individual
	Zheng Jie Tennis champion of women's doubles at Australian Open, Wimbledon Open in 2006
	Liu Peng Chief of the State General Administration of Sports
	Cai Zhenhua Vice-chief of the State General Administration of Sports
	Sun Haiping Vice chief coach of national athletic team; coach of men's 110m hurdles world record holder Liu Xiang