HOSTS' GOLDEN HOPE: Wu Peng is China's best shot at a medla in the Olympic swimming competition. -- PHOTO: AFP

With the United States and Australia expected to take most of the swimming medals, Wu Peng faces intense pressure to win the 200m butterfly at the Beijing Games after a silver at last year's World Championships.

'There is less than a month ahead of the event and I will seize every minute to raise my form,' Wu told the state-run Xinhua news agency, in between training sessions in China's south-west Yunnan province.

'I hope I will be among the ones who stand on the podium and I believe that my dream will come true soon,' he said on Thursday.

Wu was a disappointing fourth at the 2004 Olympics, but made progress to finish a distant second to Phelps at last year's World Championships in Melbourne.

But, after swimming a personal best of 1min 54.82sec at a national Olympic trial in March, Wu warned that he has a chance to shock Phelps, who is aiming to break Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medals at one Games.

'There is still a gulf between me and Phelps, but I will do my best to bridge the gap,' Wu said.

'I won't let the chance slip away.'

Other than Wu, China's medal prospects are few and far between following their worst performance in 15 years at last year's world meet. They won just one silver (Wu) and one bronze (women's 4x100m medley relay) in Melbourne.

Since their prime at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, where China won four golds, the squad have managed just two golds in the following three Games - one in 1996 and one in 2004.

Many Chinese swimmers have publicly blamed closed-door coaching methods for their failure, claiming they lack guidance from foreign coaching experts and regular exposure to top-level international meets.

There are 32 swimming golds up for grabs at the Olympics. Only track and field (47) has more.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE