Gen-Z Chinese athletes impress world with excellence, interesting souls

Talk truly, compete with composure and treat every counterpart sincerely. During the Paris Olympics that will be coming to an end on Sunday, the younger generation of Chinese athletes are not only impressing people with their excellent performances, but also, with their interesting souls, breaking the stereotype the rest of the world has about Chinese athletes.

In a historic moment for China on Thursday, Chinese athletes secured the country's first ever Olympic gold medal in artistic swimming.

Seventeen-year-old diving prodigy Quan Hongchan on Tuesday won her second gold at the Paris Olympics and third of her career. She has now become the youngest Chinese athlete to have ever won three gold medals in Olympic history.

Chinese paddler Fan Zhendong won the table tennis men's singles title on August 4, making him the 11th player in the history of world table tennis to achieve a Grand Slam victory.

Different from tennis Grands Slams, table tennis' Grand Slam victory refers to winning singles crowns at the Olympic Games, the World Championships and the World Cup.

The marvelous achievement also makes Fan the second, after legend Ma Long, to complete a Super Grand Slam, thanks to his gold medal win at the intra-continental Asian Games last year.

In the artistic gymnastics competition on August 4, Tokyo Olympic champion Liu Yang successfully resisted the pressure of failure in the team competition a few days ago and defended his Olympic men's rings title.

At Roland Garros on August 4, Chinese female tennis player Zheng Qinwen, fondly nicknamed "Queen Wen" by fans, won China's first Olympic gold medal in tennis women's singles.

When asked by the media if she had become a true "Queen," she said, "It was a hard-fought match and I was really pushed to my limits. So, I deserve the title 'Queen Wen.'"

Chinese swimmers competing in Paris had received 21 tests in average from January 1 to July 23, according to the world swimming governing body World Aquatics, while the number for the US swimmers was just six.

But the Chinese swimmers still have to face the groundless allegations of doping after Pan Zhanle smashed the men's 100-meter freestyle world record with 46.40 seconds, and the Team China ended the US' 40-year unbeaten run in the men's 4x100 medley relay.

When questioned by the media on Tuesday about the appropriate frequency for doping tests for Chinese swimmers, Pan responded, "should be as it is for the Team US."

After the table tennis mixed doubles final match on July 30, Chinese gold medalists Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha, North Korean silver medalists Ri Jong-sik and Kim Kum-yong, and South Korean bronze medalists Shin Yu-bin and Lim Jong-hoon, posed for a group selfie.

In a friendly move, Sun asked Lim to capture the rare moment from different angles with the smartphone in his hand.

Media and netizens called it a "moment of selfie diplomacy," nodding to the fact that current situation on the Korean Peninsula is not as admirable as the moment after the medal-awarding ceremony.

In shooting, Chinese sharpshooters Huang Yuting and Sheng Lihao secured the first gold medal of the Paris 2024 in the 10-meter air rifle mixed team event on July 27, the first day of Olympic competitions.

The Gen-Z soon triggered pride and joy across China, not only with their success, but also with their interesting nicknames on Sina Weibo. For example, Sheng's name "Only by eating" was joked by netizens that he won the gold medal "only by eating." Chinese badminton singles shuttler He Bingjiao also touched the audience when she carried a badge with the Spanish Olympic Committee onto the podium when He was awarded a silver medal on August 5.

He qualified for the final after her semifinal opponent Carolina Marin of Spain withdrew due to an injury. Global media and fans hailed He's act and praised her as a "true Olympian."