It""s onwards and upwards for Team China after breakthroughs abound at Tokyo 2020
Reinforcing its strengths, smashing records and outstripping expectations, Team China delivered an Olympic campaign that perhaps even exceeded its own ambitions in Tokyo.
After the curtain came down on the Games on Sunday, the Chinese delegation boarded their flights home having served up two weeks of spine-tingling action that transcended the sporting landscape to cheer the entire nation.
Leaving the Japanese capital with 38 gold, 32 silver and 18 bronze medals, Team China tied its London 2012 result as the best golden haul at an overseas Olympics. That proved worthy of a second-place finish in the overall medal table, just one gold behind the United States"" leading tally of 39 golds.
China accounted for four of the 23 world records broken at the Games, spearheaded by the women""s 4x200m freestyle relay swimming team (7 minutes and 40.33 seconds).
Men""s weightlifter Shi Zhiyong improved his own world record by a kilogram to 364kg to win the 73kg class. Track cycling duo Zhong Tianshi and Bao Shanju clocked 31.804 seconds in their heat to set a world record in team sprint en route to retaining gold, before marksman Zhang Changhong fired a world-best score of 466 points to hit the golden target in the men""s 50m rifle 3-position.
Perhaps more encouragingly, the country""s efforts to expand its prowess beyond its traditional strengths, such as diving, table tennis and weightlifting, have yielded real progress. Team China claimed golds across 14 events－its most diverse title distribution at an overseas Olympics.
There were plenty of memorable moments off the podium too. Chinese athletes finished in the top eight places 158 times in Tokyo－another all-time high since the country""s Olympic debut in 1984.
As something of a post-Games bonus, Chinese athletes have all returned home safe and clean, without a single COVID-19 case reported or any of their 226 drug tests returning a positive result.
"Despite uncertainties and struggles during Tokyo 2020""s pandemic-enforced delay, Chinese athletes have delivered on their targets in Tokyo, improving on the delegation""s performances at the last Games in 2016," read a statement released by the Chinese Olympic Committee on Sunday.
"More importantly, the confident and diverse images of Chinese athletes, with or without golds around their necks, have presented the young face of the country in a modern light."
Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee, heaped praise on the performance of Chinese athletes in an interview with China Central Television.
"I think the Chinese people can be very proud of their athletes, of what they have achieved so far. I""ve witnessed some of the gold medals," said Bach, an Olympic champion in fencing at the 1976 Games.
Cementing supremacy
Team China consolidated its supremacy in weightlifting, table tennis and diving, missing out on only one gold in each sport in Tokyo.
The country""s shooting squad brought home a record 11 medals, including four golds, while the gymnastics team, which finished without any golds at the 2016 Rio Games, bounced back to grab three titles in Tokyo.
Despite the retirement of legend Lin Dan, Chinese badminton players reached finals in all five disciplines, where they prevailed in women""s singles and mixed doubles.
Athletes in these six sports contributed 28 gold medals, about 74 percent of the total title haul, while strong Olympic debuts from a host of rising stars also bode well for the 2024 Paris Games.
"Hopefully, this Games will only be the beginning for many more successes ahead in my career," said 19-year-old diver Wang Zongyuan after winning the men""s synchronized 3m springboard with Xie Siyi.
""All the impossibles""
Much to the surprise of fans back home, Chinese athletes made huge strides in Western-dominated sports, such as track and field, swimming, and rowing.
Sprinter Su Bingtian dashed into history by clocking an Asian-record 9.83 seconds to become the first Chinese to reach an Olympic men""s 100m final.
Two-time world champion Gong Lijiao claimed the country""s first women""s Olympic shot put title in her fourth Games, before Liu Shiying followed suit with a similar feat in the women""s javelin.
Zhu Yaming won the country""s first Olympic silver medal in the men""s triple jump, leaping to a personal best of 17.57m in the final.
"All the impossibles are meant to be broken, and here in Tokyo we did it," Su said after finishing sixth in the 100m final.
World Athletics president Sebastian Coe hailed Chinese athletes"" "upward trajectory" in Tokyo, adding: "You""ve seen the strength in endurance events. Chinese relay teams now are extremely competitive. You have seen the wide range of talent that has emerged and is emerging in the field as well. Su Bingtian is a really good example of the progress that is now being made in the short distances."
In rowing, the quartet of Chen Yunxia, Zhang Ling, Lyu Yang and Cui Xiaotong won the country""s second ever gold in the women""s quadruple sculls, while Zhang Liang and Liu Zhiyu collected bronze in the double sculls to bring home the country""s first Olympic medal on the men""s side.
sunxiaochen@chinadaily.com.cn