Full coverage: 2016 Rio Olympics

Here's what to watch for from Team China on the first day in Rio. Chinese athletes will compete in some 18 events, from archery and swimming to fencing and weightlifting. A total of 12 gold medals will be handed out.  Olympians Tao Luna, Du Li, and Yi Siling will face off against international contenders in the 10-meter air pistol event. Du and Yi have both won Olympic gold before.  In fact, Du won the first gold for China at the Athens Games in the same event.  She also won gold in the 50-meter event in 2008 while Yi won the first gold for China at the London Games.

And, Olympians Xu Anqi and Sun Yujie will be competing in the Women's Epee Individual, where prospects for gold are good. Last but not least, swimmer Sun Yang, who first wowed the world with record-breaking performances at the Beijing Olympics back in 2008, will be a strong contender for gold in the men's 400-meter freestyle.