Chinese athletes did well, not just in competition: China Daily editorial

The curtain came down on the 2024 Paris Olympic Games early this morning Beijing time. Chinese athletes have grabbed more gold medals than they obtained in the previous Games in Tokyo.

What is even more impressive is the sportsmanship they displayed in the competition fields. Medals are valued by athletes and the countries they represent, but it is the demonstrations of the sporting spirit that capture people's hearts and remain in memories.

And while many athletes did not win a medal, they did not leave the Olympics empty-handed. The applause the audiences gave them when they tried their utmost for the best possible results was recognition that they gave it their all for their nation.

When Chinese table tennis player Fan Zhendong beat his Japanese counterpart Harimoto Tomokazu in the quarter-final of the men's singles competition, both players presented a wonderful match for the audience. Tomokazu, although eliminated, got credit for the perseverance he displayed. Chinese player Fan, when he lost the first two rounds, instead of losing heart, mustered his courage and played to the best of his skills and finally won the match. What the two players exhibited is the will to push themselves to new heights.

Fan is one of the many Chinese athletes, who pushed themselves to personal bests to get the better of their rivals in matches. Many of them were born in the early 2000s. Chinese tennis player Zheng Qinwen was born in 2002, and she powered her way to the final, and won the gold medal, the first one of its kind for China and Asia as well.

Swimmer Pan Zhanle, 20 years old, shattered his own world record in the men's 100-meter freestyle final with a time of 46.40 seconds to win gold, becoming the first Asian swimmer to win the men's 100m freestyle Olympic gold medal since the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics.

Despite the fabrication of a dope scandal to stigmatize Chinese athletes by some from the United States, that flew in the face of the most intensive testing of Chinese athletes, the Chinese swimmers' excellent performance won the applause of the global audience, gaining credit for themselves and the country as well.

Not only did Chinese athletes compete to the best of their ability and skills, they also displayed the Olympic Spirit by exhibiting goodwill for their rivals before and after the matches. It was very moving when Chinese badminton player He Bingjiao held up a miniature badge of Spanish flag while receiving her Olympic silver medal on the podium. She would not have reached the final with that ease had her strong Spanish opponent in the semifinal not quit due to injury.

In sports without the distortion of politicization, friendship prevails.