A court in Beijing on Wednesday started hearing a case against a woman who allegedly cheated 58 million yuan ($9 million) from several people, including former Olympic champions.

The woman is said to be the girlfriend of one of the athletes.

Wang Ti, a resident of Dalian, Northeast China's Liaoning province, allegedly cheated 27 people, including Yang Wei and Yang Yun, former Olympic gymnastics champions, according to a lawyer representing three of the victims.

Gao Zhihai, an official at the information office of the Beijing No 2 Intermediate People's Court, said on Wednesday that the judges started hearing the case on Tuesday morning.

He declined to provide further details because the case is still under way.

Tang Junfen - a lawyer from Beijing-based Jia Zi law firm who is representing three of the victims - said that Wang is accused of fraud. The woman allegedly cheated the sports celebrities between 2008 and 2011.

Wang met Xiao Qin - a national team gymnast who won a pommel horse championship at the Beijing Olympic Games - at a wedding ceremony after she came to the capital in 2008. The two then started a relationship, Tang said.

The 31-year-old woman rented an apartment in Beijing, but told others she owned the property, Tang added.

"She pretended to be the daughter of high-level officials and told the athletes that she could use her status to buy low-priced property," the lawyer said.

"But in fact Wang's cheap properties were all rental apartments that she sought across the city," she said.

Zhu Shuangshuang, another suspect in the case, who used to be a broker for Yang Wei and Yang Yun, was also charged with fraud. Zhu is accused of introducing buyers to Wang, the lawyer said.

"Zhu denied the accusation in court, and said she was also a victim," Tang said.

Tang said that among the deceived people, Li Xiang, a man who ran a barber shop in the city, was allegedly defrauded of the largest sum - about 5.9 million yuan.

Some of the victims were suspicious after failing to get property ownership certificates after giving money to Wang and Zhu, and they then turned to the police, said the lawyer.

The two suspects were arrested on May 6, 2011.

The lawyer added that Wang said she gave about 20 million yuan to Xiao and spent some money on luxury cars.

Prosecuting authorities on Wednesday refused to reveal more information about the case.

Wang's ex-husband is Wang Sheng, a player for the Dalian Shide soccer team, and the couple did not divorce until 2011, according to Tang.

"Wang and Xiao lived together before the woman ended her marriage and she did not say in court what the relationship is between Xiao and her," Tang said.

If convicted, Wang may face a life sentence because the involved sum is believed to be far more than 500,000 yuan, said Wang Xing, a Beijing lawyer at the Hui Cheng law firm, who specializes in criminal cases. He added that the suspect's properties would also be confiscated if she is convicted.

Contact the writer at caoyin@chinadaily.com.cn