From Zero to Hero: China’s Quest for Olympic Glory Takes Center Stage

Sport fulfills the dream of national prosperity and national regeneration. In the 2024 Paris Olympics, the Chinese sports delegation won 40 gold medals, 27 silver medals, and 24 bronze medals The number of gold medals tied for the United States was the best in the history of my country’s foreign participation in the Olympic Games. It breaks through from zero Olympic gold medals 40 years ago to the current Olympic power, China’s sports industry has achieved leapfrogging development under the strong leadership of the party.

At the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, archer Xu Haifeng achieved “zero progress” in Olympic gold medals for China. The Olympic stage has become an important window for the world to understand China and for China to welcome the world. On the journey from “zero development” in Olympic gold medals to becoming an Olympic power, building a solid foundation of faith, constantly gathering the strength to go forward, and always holding high the great flag of patriotism has always be the main theme of our country’s athletes on the Olympic track.

From the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics to the 2004 Athens Olympics, China participated in six Summer Olympics and gradually became the undisputed leader of the second group in the Olympic arena. In the field of winter sports, ice and snow athletes continue to make history. At the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, short track speed skater Yang Yang ascended to the top podium, achieving China’s “no breakthrough” in winning gold medals at the Winter Olympics. Taking the 2008 Beijing Olympics as a symbol, China’s competitive sports have reached a new level. The Chinese sports delegation won 48 gold medals, 22 silver medals and 30 bronze medals, becoming the first Asian country to top the gold medal list in the history of the Olympic Games. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, my country’s sports industry has made great strides on the road to high-quality development.

On June 18, 2019, General Secretary Xi Jinping said in a reply to all students of the 2016 graduate champion class of Beijing Sports University: “In the new era, China needs more mission and struggle. I hope you will continue to take the lead and fight hard, keep working hard, make more contributions to building sports power, and provide more positive energy to society.”

On February 24, 2022, General Secretary Xi Jinping said in reply to Chinese snowboarder Su Yiming: “The new era is an era for dream chasers, and it is also an era for young people to achieve their dreams. I hope you you care about the motherland and have high aspirations, keep your feet on the ground, create a wonderful life in battle, and contribute your youth and strength to the motherland and the people.”

General Secretary Xi Jinping’s cordial care and fervent expectations have inspired the majority of athletes to care for the motherland, to have high dreams, and to strive to move forward with the spirit “the mission is on their shoulders and the fight is on their shoulders”. On the field, Chinese athletes are united, fight tenaciously, strive for first place, and live up to their mission off the field, Chinese athletes show the confident, optimistic, warm and friendly sunny disposition of a younger generation China, allowing the world to see the deep accumulation of China’s excellent traditional culture It has reached an era of openness, inclusiveness, and enterprising spirit in China.

At the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, the Chinese sports delegation achieved outstanding results of 38 gold medals, 32 silver medals, and 19 bronze medals, ranking second in the gold medal list. At the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, the Chinese sports delegation won 9 gold, 4 silver and 2 bronze, placing third in the list of gold medals, creating the best results in history since participating in the 1980 Winter Olympics.

In the 2024 Paris Olympics, the performance of the Chinese sports delegation has achieved breakthroughs in multiple dimensions, and the comprehensive strength of my country’s competitive sports has been further enhanced. The 232 participating events are the most from abroad, and the scope of participation is wider. Athletes in more events have the opportunity to follow their dreams in the Olympic Games. The 40 gold medals created the highest level of foreign participation since my country participated in the Summer Olympics in 1984. The Chinese sports delegation also broke 1 world record, set more than 9 Olympic records, and 2 Asian records . Compared to previous years, the Chinese sports delegation has added three new gold medal events: synchronized swimming, rhythmic gymnastics, and freestyle BMX The number of Olympic gold medal events has increased to 24, and the foundation on for gold medals has been further confirmed. The Chinese sports delegation won gold medals in multiple team and relay events, with 60 athletes winning gold medals, the same number as the 2008 Beijing Olympics. They won gold medals in three events: diving, table tennis and synchronized swimming, becoming the only delegation to win gold medals in more than two events. Athletes from 20 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities won gold medals, and athletes from 24 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities won medals The number of provinces covered by gold medal athletes has increased by 3 compared to the previous two years an increase in the balanced development of competitive sport. At the same time, great advances have been made in swimming, kayaking, freestyle BMX, tennis, synchronized swimming, rhythmic gymnastics, weightlifting, women’s boxing and other sports.

“The honor of the country is always greater than the honor of the individual” “I dedicate this gold medal to the great motherland” “Everything is worth it for the motherland”… The loving confessions of Chinese athletes to the motherland is extremely contagious and clearly shows the supremacy of the motherland and the pursuit of glory for the country The innocent feelings of the athletes show the belief in victory through tenacious struggle and constant self-improvement, showing the valuable qualities of unity, cooperate and fight side by side. , and interpret the Chinese sports spirit and Olympic spirit.

(Reporter Li Xueying and internal reporter Liang Yan)

Editor: Lu Qiuping

Reviewer: Dong An