By Nick Butler

Chinese volunteers have led the way in the international stakes in the first week of Rio 2016 volunteer signups ©Getty ImagesChina's passion for major sporting events has been underlined by the fact that, in the first week after the opening of the Rio 2016 Volunteer Programme, there have been more registrations from the country than from anywhere else outside the host nation.


More than 60,000 people from over 160 countries have registered as candidates in the first week after the opening of the process at the end of last month, with students, working people and the retired all represented.  

While 62 per cent of the total so far, numbering 37,903 people, have come from within Brazil, 3,204 have come from China, while 2,874 registrations have come from the United States and 2,595 from Russia.

Interest from Great Britain, the location for the last Olympic Games in London in 2012, has also been high, with a total of 2,318 expressions of interest in the first week. 

Rio 2016 claimed "an eye-catching detail is the impressive number of candidates from countries that have hosted the most recent Olympic and Paralympic Games, illustrating the inspirational effect that hosting the events has on the local population". 

Following the success of the volunteers at London 2012 will be a major aim for those at Rio 2016 ©Getty ImagesFollowing the success of the volunteers at London 2012 will be a major aim for those at Rio 2016 ©Getty Images



But it is the interest of China, the country that hosted Beijing 2008, which is most impressive, particularly following the success of the Nanjing 2014 Summer Youth Olympic Games last month. 

The volunteers were among the most praised aspects of the Games.

It shows the growing enthusiasm for the Olympic Movement from the world's most populous country, and is also a good sign for the public enthusiasm for Beijing's bid for the 2022 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The application process to find more than 70,000 volunteers for the Games is open until November 15, with emails to be sent offering interviews between February 2015 and May 2016.

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