Russian athletes have been set a minimum target of 25 gold medals at the London Games this summer, its Olympic committee chief Alexander Zhukov said Thursday.
The country is setting its sights on a top-three place in the medal table, and Zhukov insisted that at least two dozen golds were needed to finish ahead of host nation Britain.
"We are setting the task of falling in the world's strongest trio of teams," Zhukov said. "Twenty-five gold medals, I think, is the minimum that will allow us to finish the Olympic Games in London among the world's three strongest sporting powers."
Russia won 23 gold in Beijing at the last Games in 2008, behind China's 51 gold and the United States' 36. Britain was fourth with 19.
About 450 athletes will represent Russia in London, sports minister Vitaly Mutko said, with 129 women and 165 men already having secured their place.
Russia will vie for medals in 25 of 39 Olympic disciplines.
Earlier Thursday, Beijing silver medalist and five-time European Champion Oksana Slivenko warned that Russia's female weightlifters are capable of winning gold in each of the four Olympic categories they are entering.
The Russian challenge will be among the strongest in London, with three of the four lifters current world champions and world record holders in their categories.
In the pool, Russia is aiming for seven medals, including at least one gold, head team coach Andrei Vorontsov told RIA Novosti earlier this week.
