Deng Yawen of China competes in the women's park final of cycling BMX freestyle at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, on July 31, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

"The waves behind drive on those ahead", an old Chinese saying perfectly encapsulated the spirit of the past 17 days as the Olympic Games returned to Paris after a century.

The Games was marked by historic firsts and inspiring performances from a new generation of Chinese athletes, born after 2000, who, like the rising waves of a mighty river, captured the world's attention not just with their athletic achievements, but with the vibrant spirit they embody.

On the field, they displayed remarkable resilience and energy, and off the field, they shone in Paris with confidence and charm.

Making history

Paris 2024 confirmed Pan Zhanle's status as one of swimming's brightest stars.

In the 100m freestyle, Pan shattered his own world record and won gold in a time of 46.40 seconds. He also anchored China to victory in the men's 4x100m medley relay final alongside Xu Jiayu, Qin Haiyang and Sun Jiajun.

It broke the United States' run of 10 successive gold medals in this event dating back to the Los Angeles 1984 Games.

"This is magic for me," Pan said after the relay triumph, which coincided with his 20th birthday. "I fulfilled the promise I made a year ago to celebrate my birthday with a team gold medal."

In the biggest win on a tennis court for China since Li Na, Zheng Qinwen won the women's singles gold medal at Roland Garros, the same court that Li notched her first Grand Slam title at the French Open 13 years ago.

On her way to the top of the podium, the 21-year-old Zheng had eliminated former world No. 1 Angelique Kerber of Germany and a rival she had never conquered before the Paris Games, current world No. 1 Iga Swiatek of Poland.

"After the third round, I was in pain and playing with bandages. It wasn't easy to overcome these challenges. This is the first time I've fought five battles for five days in a row, and I feel like I've pushed to my limits," said Zheng.

Her landmark victory broke through the sport's traditional Western powerhouses, signaling that a new wave of talent from Asia is ready to challenge the world's best.

Speaking directly to young tennis fans in China who stayed up late to watch her matches, Zheng offered words of encouragement: "Be brave and dream big. Achieving dreams requires setting goals, but the journey will have its hardships, doubts, and sacrifices. Enjoy the process because every failure is a step towards success. Standing where I am today, I can say that all the effort is worth it."

In diving, a batch of young divers spearheaded by teenagers Chen Yuxi and Quan Hongchan dominated and achieved a clean sweep of all eight gold medals at stake.

In the emerging realm of extreme sports, young Chinese athletes also made breakthroughs. 18-year-old Deng Yawen won gold in the women's BMX freestyle, impressing with her fearlessness and technical skill.

"BMX is quite a niche sport in China. Winning this gold medal means that this sport will become stronger and stronger in my country," said Deng.

"Today's competition is over, and the honor of gaining a gold medal won't follow me in every competition... I'm really just going to focus on my training and show the world a better version of me."

Beyond medals

Off the field, these young athletes have proven themselves to be just as remarkable.

Shooters Huang Yuting and Sheng Lihao, who claimed the first gold medal of the 2024 Paris Olympics, displayed remarkable calm and confidence when facing questions from journalists.

With his quirky social media handle "Just by Eating", Sheng became a viral sensation. Fans dub him "Gan Fan Ge", or "foodie bro", praising him for "winning gold just by eating."

Another pair that went viral was Wang Xinyu and Zhang Zhizhen, who unexpectedly teamed up just an hour before the mixed doubles tennis first round.

With little time to prepare, Wang even wore her hardcourt tennis shoes to play on the clay court. Despite the challenges, Wang and Zhang won a mixed doubles silver, the country's best result in this event, on their fourth day as a team.

A relaxed attitude and stable mindset were key to their success. "We were constantly exploring and adapting during the match, gradually finding our rhythm and style, and we never complained about each other on the court," Wang said.

Chinese skateboarder Zheng Haohao, the youngest athlete at the Paris Olympics, celebrated her 12th birthday on August 11, the closing day of the Games. She looked very relaxed on the Olympic stage, showing no sign of the attention that has come flooding her way.

"I had a great time," said Zheng, who ranked 18th in the women's park preliminaries and missed the final. "I am very happy and proud to represent my country. There was little pressure on me. The Olympics is not much different from my regular training and other competitions, just with more spectators."

The delightful atmosphere of Zheng's interview with the Chinese journalists also attracted reporters from Brazil and Canada, who could not understand Chinese, but were impressed by the young girl shining with confidence, courage and enthusiasm at the Games.

When asked how she would share her experience in Paris with family and friends, she laughed, "I try to keep a low profile. I'll just say, I took some time to compete in the Olympics."

China's dominance in table tennis was on full display in Paris, and so was their sportsmanship.

In the women's singles semifinal, world No. 1 Sun Yingsha of China defeated Japan's Hina Hayata. After the match, the 23-year-old Sun first comforted Hayata, asking if she was well after struggling with wrist and forearm injuries.

"I noticed that the movement of her arm was not that good. We are opponents on the court, but we are actually friends. For us, health is much more important than winning or losing," said Sun, who claimed two golds and one silver at the Paris Olympics. "No one wants to see injuries. I hope she recovers soon."

A video showing the friendship between Chinese divers Chen Yiwen, Chang Yani, and their Australian competitor Madison Keeney went viral on social media. The three girls talked, laughed, and made faces together on the podium, which touched many online viewers. "I feel like these girls are like my sisters, and I'm really lucky to have such a positive competitive relationship with them," Keeney said.

As these young athletes return home, they carry with them not just medals, but the hopes, dreams, and confidence of a generation poised to inspire people across China and beyond to pursue their dreams with the same courage and enthusiasm.  

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