Name: Xian Dongmei
Date of birth: September 15, 1975 in Sihui, Guangdong province
Career highlights: Gold medal, Athens 2004
While most athletes see the Beijing Games as an opportunity to display their talent, courage or confidence, judoka Xian Dongmei is determined to show the world something else - the glamour of a modern Chinese mother.
The 32-year-old defending champion in the 48-52kg class, who gave birth to her first child in January last year, will join marathon star Paula Radcliffe in the 'super mums' club, and just like the British runner, Xian wants to turn convention on its head.
'I don't want to miss the Beijing Olympics. I want to show the charm of a modern Chinese mum,' she said during an international team tournament in Beijing in November. 'It makes me a little emotional actually, because some Chinese people always think women should just stay at home and look after their babies, and not go out to work, let alone be an Olympic athlete.
'So I want to compete and tell them a woman can do a lot of things.'