China claims first ever Olympic gold medal in team artistic swimming at Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Photo: Li Hao/GT

China's artistic swimming head coach Zhang Xiaohuan felt "a bit unreal" when the dream came true after China won its first-ever Olympic gold medal in artistic swimming at the Paris Olympics on Wednesday with a "perfect" acrobatic team routine.

"I'm very proud of the team. I think we have completed a perfect work," said Zhang, who emphasized the hard work and dedication of the team despite facing stern challenges. 

China dominated in the competition, achieving a total score of 996.1389 and demonstrating their strength across technical, free and acrobatic routines. The team outperformed their rivals, finishing well ahead of the silver medalists the US. Spain earned the bronze medal. Russia, a traditional powerhouse of the sport, didn't take part in the Paris Games.

This historic victory marked a significant milestone for the Chinese team, which had previously won bronze in the 2008 Beijing Olympics when Zhang was the captain of the team.

Zhang said her dream of winning an Olympic gold had driven her to stay with the team even after many of her teammates retired after the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. She noted that the new rules in artistic swimming had provided opportunities for all teams to aim for the top.

Zhang also appreciated the Chinese diving team for their help in improving their acrobatic routines.

"The diving team's coaches provided significant support to our takeoff and water entry training," Zhang said. "During the competition, we earned many high scores thanks to our lifts."

"The gold medal belongs not only to our team but also to several generations of Chinese synchronized swimmers," said the team captain Feng Yu, who was one of the two flag bearers for the Chinese delegation at the opening ceremony of the Paris Games.

Jacklyn Luu of the US team saluted the Chinese after the event.

"Their execution is just out of this world," Luu told AP. "When you see them swim they are like machines out there. So clean. We wanted to put some of that into our swims."

Another American team member Jamie Czarkowski also gave thumbs-up to China.

"We have a lot of respect for them," she said. "You can see how much work they put in. They deserve that gold medal - no doubt."

The Chinese team  also have an opportunity to win another gold when the duet artistic swimming event begins on Friday.

The Olympic gold marks a new height after the team pulled off its best-ever showing in the history of the world by clinching seven golds, one silver, and one bronze medal at the 2024 World Aquatics Championships in Doha, Qatar, in February.