COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Concerned about possible demonstrations during the Beijing Olympics, the Chinese government produced a list of nine American athletes and one assistant coach it thought might cause problems during the games.

The U.S. State Department knew about China's concerns and made "multiple representations" to the country's government to reinforce the American belief in freedom of expression.

USA Today reported Thursday that it had obtained an internal U.S. Olympic Committee e-mail in which a Chinese official expressed concern that members of the U.S. team might stage some sort of demonstration. USOC spokesman Darryl Seibel confirmed that the list was given to the federation during a meeting July 8 with Shu Xiao, minister counselor for cultural affairs at the Chinese Embassy in Washington, the e-mail said.

The athletes included softball players Jennie Finch, Jessica Mendoza, Natasha Watley, Amanda Freed, and softball assistant coach Karen Johns; soccer player Abby Wambach; cyclist Jonathan Page; paralympic basketball player Jen Howitt; paralympic wheelchair racer Cheri Blauwet; and golfer Laura Goodwin.

Wambach was injured and did not compete in the Olympics. Goodwin did not compete because golf is not an Olympic sport. Page was not selected for USA Cycling's Beijing-bound team. He specializes in cyclocross, a combination of road and off-road racing that is not part of the Olympic program.

Shu was concerned that some of the athletes have been affiliated with Team Darfur, an international coalition of athletes committed to raising awareness about the human rights crisis in Sudan's Darfur region, according to the email.

Asked about the list of athletes Thursday, the State Department issued a statement saying it had seen media reports about the list.

"During the run-up to the Olympics, we discussed with Chinese authorities their concerns about the potential for protest actions by Olympics athletes or others attending the Games," the statement said. "At the time we made multiple representations to Chinese authorities regarding the importance of respecting freedom of expression, and we continue to stand by these views."

It referred other questions to the USOC.

Seibel told The Associated Press that the federation knew of the list but did not pass on the concerns to the athletes because it didn't want to burden them with what it felt was a non-issue.

"We did make clear to the embassy that our athletes would have the same right to free speech and free expression, consistent with what is set forth in the Olympic Charter, that they have enjoyed at previous Games," Seibel said. "We made certain those rights would in no way be infringed upon or compromised."

International Olympic Committee spokeswoman Emmanuelle Moreau said the IOC was not aware of the list.

"Any questions on the matter should be addressed to the Chinese authorities," she said.

Sun Weide, who was one of the spokesmen for the Beijing Organizing Committee, told The AP that he had resigned his position and declined to comment. Much of the committee has been dissolved more than two months after the Games.