President Xi Jinping meets with China's Olympic delegation for Paris 2024 at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on August 20, 2024. Team China clinched 40 gold, 27 silver and 24 bronze medals in Paris. Photo: Xinhua

President Xi Jinping on Tuesday hailed Chinese Olympians for their performance and sportsmanship at the Paris Olympic Games, saying they have won glory for the country and the people.

Meeting China's Olympic delegation for Paris 2024 at the Great Hall of the People, Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, urged the Olympians to make further efforts to build China into a sports powerhouse. 

China's delegation has been committed to winning gold medals for morality, conduct and integrity, and has demonstrated sportsmanship and earned broad respect and recognition, Xi said.

Team China clinched 40 gold, 27 silver and 24 bronze medals in Paris, marking their best performance at an overseas Summer Olympics. 

National strength

Xi noted that the Chinese delegation's excellent performance has fully demonstrated the country's strength in the new era. The fundamental reason why China has joined the ranks of the world's leading sports nations and become a major Olympic player is the country's growing national strength, Xi said.

The competition between major powers on sports is not just about the competition between athletes, but also about the competition of national strength in science and technology, public health and infrastructure, as well as the business environment,said Li Xiang, a sports journalist and media commentator who covered Paris 2024. 

This allows everyone to not only enjoy playing and watching sports, but also allows the country's economy to benefit and profit constantly due to the sports industry, Li noted.

In his remarks on Tuesday, Xi highlighted two Chinese athletes' expressions after winning a gold medal at the Paris Olympics.

Chinese swimmer Pan Zhanle, who broke men's 100-m freestyle world record in Paris Olympic Games, said after his win that "I dedicate this gold medal to our great motherland."

Tennis player Zheng Qinwen, who became the first Asian-born player to win a gold medal in a tennis singles event at the Olympics, said that "National honor always tops individual achievements."

The Chinese delegation's excellent performance in Paris has carried forward the spirit of Chinese sports, as well as the Olympic spirit, Xi said.

He praised the athletes for showing the world the profound heritage of traditional Chinese culture, displaying an open, inclusive, vibrant and enterprising image of modern China, and demonstrating the ambition, courage and determination of the Chinese people.

Luo Le, a sports scholar with the Beijing University of Chemical Technology, told the Global Times that "the victories of young athletes have set a significant example, encouraging more young people to pay attention to sports, engage in sports, or participate in physical activities, making sports a lifestyle choice." 

"Participating in sports not only improves physical health but also helps achieve the goal of becoming a sports powerhouse," Luo said. 

Table tennis player Ma Long, the Chinese athlete having won six Olympic gold medals, told media on Tuesday that singing the national anthem with the fans on-site at the Paris Olympics was an incredibly proud and unforgettable moment.

"Having the support of our great motherland and hundreds of millions of people behind us definitely helps us perform better," Ma said. "Sport not only strengthens the body but also teaches us how to rise again when faced with challenges and setbacks." 

Zheng, who is going to continue her professional tennis career, said that China's progress is witnessed by the equally viewing the world by the younger generation. 

"Only by viewing the world as equals can you fully unleash your true and complete potential," Zheng said. 

Eye on 2028

Xi said at the event that preparations for the next Olympics have started, it is hoped the country's Olympians remain humble while improving their performance in training and competitions.

They should continue to excel in competitive sports, and help promote national fitness and the development of youth sports, he added.

 As Team China is going to prepare for the Los Angeles Olympic Games 2028, Shen Yi, a professor on international relations at Fudan University, said that their high-quality participation could be seen as support for the host country the US, but the support is not unconditional.

It is hoped that the US can ensure the Games will be fair, and all participants, including Chinese athletes, will be treated without bias and prejudice. "We need to speak out loudly and openly" to let them know our concern, Shen told the Global Times on Tuesday. 

Many people around the globe share this kind of concern caused by some behaviors by certain US agencies and media outlets during the Paris 2024 that targeted Chinese athletes on the doping issue, while Team US is being questioned seriously by media and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) on the same issue with solid evidence, experts said. 

We see great achievements and also challenges from Team China's experience in Paris this year, so in the next four years, Team China as well as other sectors of our country will improve their strength and capabilities comprehensively to break more world records as well as Western dominance in some sports by clean and convincing performances, Chinese expert said.