China has made remarkable athletic achievements and showcased broader progress in sports on its Olympic journey since 1984, when the country secured its first Olympic gold medal at the Los Angeles Games.

INSPIRING MOMENTS

China has never stopped striving to make breakthroughs at the Olympic Games since the restoration of the People's Republic of China to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1979, as its athletes have tried to seize every opportunity to compete globally, leaving behind legacies that continue to inspire their young peers.

On July 29, 1984, shooter Xu Haifeng won China's first-ever Olympic gold medal, in Los Angeles. His remarkable feat not only galvanized the nation but also heralded a new era of Chinese sports.

File photo taken on July 29, 1984 shows that China's Xu Haifeng compete in the men's pistol event at the 23rd Olympic Games in Los Angeles, the United States.

Also in Los Angeles, China's women's volleyball team overwhelmed the host United States to clinch Olympic gold, bagging a third major international title following the 1981 World Cup and 1982 World Championship.

Although it took two decades before another generation of women's volleyball players won Olympic gold at Athens in 2004, the team's prowess and unyielding spirit has motivated Chinese people to pursue their own dreams.

At Athens 2004, 21-year-old Liu Xiang thrilled the nation by winning the men's 110m hurdles in record time, becoming the first Chinese to win gold in an Olympic sprint event. Liu's achievement earned him the moniker "China's flying man," a legacy continued by sprinter Su Bingtian's stellar performance in the men's 100m at the Tokyo Olympics.

Chinese hurdler Liu Xiang competes in the men's 110m hurdlers at the 2001 Beijing Summer Universiade in Beijing, on August 28, 2001. (Xinhua/Chen Xiaowei)

Although Su could only finish sixth in the final at Tokyo, he had qualified joint-fastest in an Asian record time of 9.83s, giving China its most high-profile male athletics performance since Liu's epic win in Athens.

Su called Liu his idol and his lucky charm.

"I'm extremely thankful to him. He was the pioneer of China's athletics sport," said Su of Liu. "Without him, no one would have dared to dream to be a finalist in Olympics, to be an Olympic champion as an Asian."

Just like Liu and Su, the desire to win and the spirit of relentless dedication have been passed down from generation to generation among Chinese athletes and have ultimately borne fruit -- China has consistently finished in the top three of the Olympic medal table since Sydney 2000. At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Chinese athletes delivered an outstanding performance on home soil, topping the medal table with 48 golds.

Throughout its Olympic journey, China has excelled in diving, shooting, gymnastics, table tennis, badminton and weightlifting, which together have accounted for 192 of the country's 263 total Olympic gold medals since 1984.

Looking ahead to the Paris Olympics, China's athletes are aiming for more breakthroughs at the quadrennial sports extravaganza.

While its prowess in sports like athletics and team ball sports will face stern tests, the team is expected to perform strongly in its traditional hunting grounds of table tennis and badminton. China's swimming team is poised to make a splash, and the diving "dream team" simply cannot be missed.

China's post-2000 athletes will also seek to capture global attention in emerging Olympic sports such as breakdancing, sport climbing, skateboarding and surfing.

IMPRESSIVE DEVELOPMENT

China's progress in competitive sports is largely down to its emphasis on integrating sports with education and talent cultivation.

In Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province, teenagers enjoy dance-like workouts in a middle school playground. Less than 300km away, in the city of Nantong, hundreds of students run in spectacular changing formations that resemble the classic mobile game Snake.

Schools across China have been encouraged to design creative PE classes and activities catering to the students' interests, enabling them to harness their sports skills and enjoy physical and mental well-being.

Meanwhile, China has greatly intensified its sporting input on youth development, especially after the international performances of the country's big-ball team sports declined in recent years. For example, the Chinese Football Association has consolidated a comprehensive youth league competition system to identify and nurture amateur talents.

National fitness programs have led to the proliferation of sports parks and facilities. According to official statistics, the number of sports venues in China had surpassed 4.59 million by 2023, with the per capita sporting area reaching 2.89 square meters.

In Wuxi, another city in Jiangsu, people engage in sports daily while vehicles whizz overhead. Scenes like this take place in the city's largest sports park, which is built beneath an overpass and is equipped with fitness facilities like basketball courts, ping-pong tables and skateparks.

Millions of tourists from southern China, where snow is a rarity, flocked to the northeastern city of Harbin to experience winter sports last winter. The tourism boom is bolstered by the Beijing Winter Olympics, which attracted 300 million people to engage in winter sports.

And the potential is still to be tapped, as China proposed that by the end of 2025, its total scale of winter sports industry will reach 1 trillion yuan (about 137.6 billion U.S. dollars).

Mass efforts also contribute to forming brand sports events in Rongjiang County of southwest China's Guizhou Province, where the Village Super League, featuring a festive atmosphere, has become a sensational football gala.

"The growing enthusiasm of Chinese people for sports activities reflects their increasing attention to physical and mental health," said Wang Xueli, a professor at Tsinghua University. "And mass participation is absolutely fueling China's current sports boom."

More Chinese sports enthusiasts are taking up outdoor sports. Data shows that 580 road running races were held nationwide in 2023, with a total of 5.5 million participants.

On the Chinese lifestyle-sharing platform Xiaohongshu, numerous posts present the diverse experiences related to outdoor sports in China, ranging from high-intensity activities like sailing and cross-country, to more laid-back ones such as camping and city walks.

Sports have become a crucial driving force for China's economic growth, job creation and industrial optimization. The country's 14th Five-Year Plan for Sports Development aims to employ over 8 million people in the sports sector by 2025, reflecting the industry's potential to enhance livelihoods.

INFLUENTIAL POWER

As the Chinese public increasingly values sports, China has forged a closer connection with the Olympic movement over the last 40 years and is set to play an ever more prominent role going forward.

When the Los Angeles Olympics took place, a nine-year-old Chinese girl named Yang Yang dreamed of competing on the world stage like those sporting heroes. 18 years later, she fulfilled her dream by becoming China's first Winter Olympic champion and later helped Beijing win the bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Before hosting the Beijing Olympics in 2008, China's participation in the Olympic movement was primarily on the field. However, the Games clearly showcased China's enthusiasm and strength in global sports, leaving an indelible mark on Olympic history.

August 8, the opening day of the Beijing Olympics, was designated as National Fitness Day in China, reflecting the growing integration of sports into everyday life.

It also demonstrated China's capability to organize a world-class sporting event on an unprecedented scale, with the iconic "Bird's Nest" stadium and the "Water Cube" symbolizing the country's ambition and prowess.

The Beijing Winter Olympics solidified the Chinese capital as the world's first and only dual Olympic city, highlighting China's resilience and dedication to the Olympic spirit during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Reflecting on the two Games, Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou, who directed the opening ceremonies of both Games, noted a shift from a focus on traditional culture in 2008 to a shared human spirit in 2022. This evolution mirrors China's growing integration into and contribution to the global community.

China's approach to the Olympics has also matured over the years, with the public now celebrating not only their own athletes' successes but also the performances and spirit of athletes from around the world.

Deepening international cooperation and exchanges are evident on the Olympic stage, as overseas coaches and trainers are nowadays common in many Chinese sports teams.

The presence of Chinese elements in the Olympics continues to grow. The country's influence extends to the manufacturing of Olympic merchandise, sporting equipment, and even the gear used by international delegations.

"China and the IOC can now build on the outstanding success of these Olympic Winter Games and can benefit from the legacy that these Games have left for China and its people, but also for international winter sport," IOC President Thomas Bach said after Beijing 2022.

During his visit to China in 2023, the IOC president expressed hope for China to bid for future Olympic Games. "I'm really looking forward to many major international sports events taking place in China in the coming years," he said. 

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