Mexican athletes who won medals during the Beijing Olympic Games achieved the success for their individual efforts, Mexican President Calderon said on Friday.

Calderon met gold medalists Maria del Rosario Espinoza and Guillermo Perez, bronze medalists Paola Espinosa and Tatiana Ortizin Los Pinos.

"Thanks to the performance of these four brilliant youngsters, Mexico advanced from the place 59, won in Athens 2004, to the place 36 in Beijing, however, I reaffirm it, I think (the success) has been more for their own and coaches' merits than as for a collective effort," Calderon said.

"The triumph they achieved is completely of them. I know you have won these medals for Mexico, but Mexico owes them to your effort, dedication and personal sacrifice you have made," Calderon said.

Calderon said that Mexican sports system needs a deep correction, which allows the country to move forward and grow according the size of its population, so he requested the winner athletes to help reviewing the controversy and correct it.

"I want to ask you four, your coaches, to all the athletes who went to Beijing without exception, to deeply review the national sports system and to correct it with us, that we could detect what is not working and to reinforce it," Calderon said.

National sports is led by former soccer player Carlos Hermosillo who has been accused by several sportsmen, like Olympic medal winner Ana Guevara did, of abandoning them to their luck.

Calderon said that the sports must become into a daily practice of Mexicans and he requested to "make massive" the sports so the triumphs do not arrive in exceptional ways.

"We want these results, the Olympic medals and the championships to be part of a process which integrates the capacities and talent of the Mexican youngsters," Calderon said.

Calderon urged the sports community to "conquer a better place on the medal table" during the Pan American Games of Guadalajara 2011 and The Olympic Games of London 2012.

(Xinhua News Agency August 30, 2008)