Wushu on roster at 2008 Games - Rogge

The martial art of wushu will make its Olympic debut at the 2008 Beijing Games, the head of the IOC said during a tour of China last week.

But wushu artists would not get medals for their efforts, IOC president Jacques Rogge was quoted as saying.

"There will be a wushu competition during the Olympic Games," Rogge said, adding: "It's not going to be one of the official 28 sports."

The IOC president was in China to check the progress of preparations for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing as well as the coastal city of Qingdao, which will host the sailing events.

The report said Rogge did not clarify whether wushu, a no-contact form of kung fu, would get demonstration event status in 2008, meaning it could eventually enter the roster of official sports, as taekwondo and tennis have done in the past.

There currently is little room for new sports in the Olympic roster, as the IOC has capped the number of official events at 28.

In earlier statements also music to the ears of the Chinese Olympic organisers, Rogge tipped China as a contender in the medal race at the Beijing Games.

"Chinese sport is really getting to the top," he said. "I would not be surprised if China leads the medals count in 2008 Olympics."

At the Athens Olympics, China finished in third place behind the United States and Russia.