SHANGHAI, October 5 -- Up to October 10, Chinese athletes have won 224 gold medals, 161 silver and 113 bronze medals in the 2007 Special Olympic World Summer Games in Shanghai.

The Chinese delegation, which has 1,274 athletes aged eight to 58, has taken part in all 21 competition events and the four demonstration events.

Ye Shihua, a handball athlete who helped the team win a gold medal, said the success was due to the care and love of the community.

"Without everyone's love and concern, we would not even get an opportunity to be engaged in sports, and we'll train harder in the future to repay society," said Ye.

Zhao Sujing, the spokeswoman for the delegation, said the athletes started training for the Games on July 1, in 17 provinces and cities.

"Through the training, the athletes made progress not only in sports ability, but also in life skills, study and communication," she said.

The delegation has had many highlights during the Games. On Sunday, 30-year-old golfer Shao Haijuan shot a hole-in-one - the first in the history of the Special Olympic.

"It fully proves that Special Olympic athletes can do as well as other people," said Zhao.

Chinese athlete Wang Jianghuai flies over the vaulting horse during yesterday’s men’s gymnastics. He won seven gold medals yesterday.

Zhao said the families of the gymnasts have written a letter to the delegation, expressing their gratitude to the Special Olympics.

"They all say the Special Olympics has changed the destiny of the families, and are so glad to see their children or relatives shine in the gymnasium," she said.

At the end of last year, China had 620,000 Special Olympics athletes. And the number is expected to rise to one million by the year 2010.

Since 2003, China has provided the intellectually disabled with recovery training, education and employment. The country now has more than 1,640 special education schools, with 560,000 students enrolled.

Intermediate education for the mentally challenged has also been developed, and nearly 70 secondary special education schools have been put into operation.

Dr. Dicken Yung, president of Special Olympics East Asia, said China has set a good example of the development of the cause.

Chinese athlete Wang Yunxiang celebrates winning five gold medals yesterday at the Shanghai International Gymnastics Center