The 2024 Paris Olympics were all the talk on Chinese social media these weeks. Beyond the gold medal moments, there were also happenings on the sidelines, at the venues, or on the award stage that went viral and sparked online memes.

Before diving into other memorable moments, here’s a quick recap: China won a total of 91 medals at these Olympics, including 40 gold. The U.S. also won 40 gold medals, making this the first tie in the Summer Games’ history.

China secured all the gold medals in both table tennis and diving. China overtook the U.S. for the most Olympic diving gold medals of all time.

Chinese athletes also excelled in swimming; particularly Pan Zhanle (潘展乐), who broke the world record in the 100-meter freestyle and won gold. Zheng Qinwen (郑钦文) made history in Chinese women’s tennis by claiming the championship in women’s singles.

Quan Hongchan (全红婵) was not only among the youngest Chinese athletes but also became the most popular, breaking records with her double Olympic diving gold. Sun Yingsha (孙颖莎) and Wang Chuqin (王楚钦) emerged as the undisputed queen and king of China’s table tennis.

Now, let’s revisit some of the other memorable moments, in no particular order (though perhaps chronological). Did I miss one? Please let me know!

 

#1 Chang Yani and Chen Yiwen’s “Princess Carry” Moment

 

After grabbing gold at the women’s synchro 3m springboard, Chinese divers Chang Yani (昌雅妮) and Chen Yiwen (陳藝文) celebrated their win. In their moment of joy, Chang jumped into Chen’s arms – the “princess carry” moment undeniably was the cutest Olympic picture of the day.

Fans have been sharing photos and collages of the two divers, whose talent and strong bond serve as a source of inspiration to many.

See post.

 

#2 Quan’s ‘Ugly’ Slippers

 

There is one Olympic athlete who really seems to have conquered everyone’s hearts during the Olympics: Quan Hongchan (全红婵). The young springboard diver from Guangdong became one of the most-discussed athletes on Chinese social media during Paris 2024.

Quan has accomplished a lot. She previously, in 2021, won gold in the women’s 10m platform at the Tokyo Olympics, at just 14 years old. At the Paris Olympics, together with Chen Yuxi (陈芋汐), she first secured gold in the women’s synchronized 10m platform event on July 31st. On August 6, she also won gold in the women’s 10-meter platform diving final – the water did not even splash!

But the diving star is also noteworthy for quirkiness and authenticity. – something that is referred to as “being Guangdong-style relaxed” (“广式”松弛感) by Chinese netizens. Her backpack is covered in stuffed animals (some say she’s “carrying a zoo on her back”), and she loves wearing animal-themed slippers.

Her “ugly fish slippers” became all the rage since videos of Quan walking around with them went viral online, but she also has other types of ‘ugly-cute’ funny slippers (丑萌拖鞋火) that have become popular online.

See video.

 

#3 Funny Foreigners Holding the Chinese Flag?

 

Just a little reminder that things aren’t always what they seem! Chinese viewers noticed that it appeared as if non-Chinese audience members were holding up the Chinese flag at the Olympic venue.

However, it later turned out that it was actually Chinese Olympic fans holding the flag so high that it looked like the people seated above them were the ones holding it. This led to a lot of banter online.

See post.

 

#4 Olympic Marriage Proposal

 

China’s 12th gold of the Paris Olympics was won by badminton champions Huang Yaqiong (黄雅琼) and Zheng Siwei (郑思维). It was China’s first badminton gold medal of Paris 2024 in the mixed doubles against South Korea.

This gold medal became even more special when a diamond was added to the game. Olympic champion Huang Yaqiong was proposed to by her teammate and men’s doubles player, Liu Yuchen (刘雨辰).

Liu got down on one knee and popped the question right after Huang’s award ceremony. It was later reported that Huang was unaware of the proposal beforehand, although everyone else on the team, except her Olympic partner Zheng Siwei, was in on the secret.

See video.

 

#5 He Bingjiao Brings Badge of Opponent

 

Chinese badminton player He Bingjiao (何冰娇) displayed true Olympic spirit when she carried a pin of the Spanish flag onto the podium after her Spanish semifinal opponent had to withdraw due to injury.

Spain’s Carolina Marin was forced to abandon the badminton women’s singles competition after sustaining a knee injury during her semifinal match against He Bingjiao. It was a heartbreaking moment for Marin, who was in tears.

He Bingjiao went on to win silver and carried a Team Spain Olympic pin with her onto the podium to honor Marin.

Marin later said about He Bingjiao: “[…] The moment on the podium is one of the most beautiful gestures I’ve ever experienced, and I will always be incredibly grateful to her.”

See post.

 

#6 British Team Congratulates Silver Medalists Instead of Gold

 

Chinese divers Chen Yuxi (陈芋汐) and Quan Hongchan (全红婵) became especially meme-worthy on Chinese social media due to their facial expressions.

After they won gold, the British team, who took bronze, apparently first congratulated the North Korean team that won silver, bypassing the Chinese duo and creating what looked like a somewhat awkward situation.

Although the moment went viral, there were no hard feelings between the two teams; the British team was later also seen have friendly interactions with the Chinese divers.

See video.

 

#7 Swedish Photographer Bumps Into Wang Chuqin

 

Chinese table tennis star Wang Chuqin has been one of the most popular athletes on Chinese social media during these Olympics. He is also affectionately called “Wang Chu-KING” (王楚king).

There has been a lot to do about Wang these Olympics, not just because of his athletic performance, but also due to some controversies. After winning gold Wang’s favorite paddle was stepped on and broken by a photographer at the Olympic venue on July 30. Although the photographer was identified by Chinese netizens has having the ‘3488’ number on his back, there was no follow-up in the issue.

Another incident involved a Swedish journalist bumping into Wang at the Olympic venue. Many viewers suggested she intentionally rammed into him, and some sources claim that the journalist was banned from the venue, although this has not been reported by other media outlets.

See video.

 

#8 Team North Korea and South Korea Take a Selfie Together

 

It was a special moment: athletes from North Korea, South Korea, and China came together to chat and take a group photo at the podium after winning their table tennis medals. The moment quickly went viral across the internet.

Before the photo, the athletes shook hands and greeted each other on the winner’s podium. The South Korean athletes initiated the selfie. Lim Jong-hoon and Shin Yu-bin won bronze, North Korea’s Ri Jong Sik and Kim Kum Yong took silver, and China’s Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha claimed gold.

Some Chinese commenters viewed the moment as a reflection on what might have been if history had taken a different course. One blogger (@黄卉今天废物了吗) wrote: “It’s a group photo of East Asia without the Japanese. The atmosphere is very warm. Without the Japanese invasion, there wouldn’t have been the division of North and South Korea, nor would there be Taiwan declaring independence.”

See video.

 

#9 Zhou Yaqing Learns About Medal-Biting Tradition

 

Chinese gymnast Zhou Yaqing (周雅琴) was happy to have won silver, but she seemed a bit out of her comfort zone at the winner’s stage. When she saw the Italian gold en bronze medalists Alice D’Amato and Manila Esposito biting their medals – a popular tradition among athletes – she first looked at them with a look of surprise. She seemed to have no idea what they were doing.

Nevertheless, Zhou quickly responded and mimicked her fellow athletes. But instead of biting the medal, the just held the medal close to her mouth. The cute moment captured hearts worldwide.

See video.

 

#10 Weightlifter Li Wenwen Scoops up Coach

Li Wenwen’s gold medal win (women’s +81kg weighlifting, total of 309kg) was heartwarming and somewhat hilarious. After expressing her joy over winning on stage, she ran to the back and scooped up her coach like he was light as a feather (he had zero choice) and brought him on stage to celebrate with her. Even the Chinese commentator called her adorable.

See video.

 
Read our Olympic file here.
 

By Manya Koetse

Follow @whatsonweibo

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This article was first published by What’s on Weibo on Saturday July 27, 2024, 22:50 CST

PREMIUM CONTENT

This is a ‘dynamic file’ offering daily updates on trending topics and buzz related to China’s participation in the 2024 Olympic Games. Keep up with this article to stay in the loop on the hottest Weibo hashtags and social media trends surrounding China’s highlights and athletic moments in Paris.

The 2024 Paris Olympics have been much anticipated, and finally the “Bālí Àoyùn” (#巴黎奥运#, Paris Olympics) are here from July 26 until August 11, 2024.

The Chinese team for the Paris 2024 Olympics is one of the top ten largest delegations, with 716 members including 405 athletes and support staff. Among these athletes, 42 are Olympic champions and many are experienced competitors. China will compete in a variety of sports, such as swimming, diving, weightlifting, shooting, gymnastics, and table tennis. Notably, the team includes 269 female and 136 male athletes.

This article is a ‘live file’ to track the various relevant hashtags and discussions on Chinese social media surrounding the 2024 Olympics. If you don’t see any current updates, refresh the page or check back a day later to see new additions.

 

JULY 27

 

🔹 China’s First Gold!

 

🥇 China’s “First Gold” became a top trending topic on Weibo on Saturday, with the two related hashtags (#中国首金; #中国队首金) receiving 230 million and 320 million views respectively.

China’s first Olympic gold at Paris 2024 was won in the 10m air rifle mixed team final by professional shooters Huang Yuting (黄雨婷 @A阿条本条) and Sheng Lihao (盛李豪 @光靠干饭就).

As the two Olympic champions are only 17 and 19 years old, they are being celebrated as part of the “00-generation” (00后) achieving gold.

Chinese state media also highlighted this milestone by honoring Xu Haifeng, who won China’s first-ever Olympic gold medal in shooting at the 1984 Olympics. Xu, born in the 1950s, made history. In this context, it is even more remarkable that the post-2000 teenage duo, Huang and Sheng, secured China’s first gold medal at the Paris Olympics.

 

JULY 28

 

🔹 Online Banter about Opening Ceremony Video Being Removed

 

After internet users worldwide noticed that the official video for the Paris 2024 opening ceremony was removed from the Olympics’ account following controversy, a related hashtag also trended on Weibo, sparking many discussions. On Friday night, the ceremony featured a fashion show scene with drag queens and dancers performing a parody of the Last Supper.

The scene especially seemed to be deemed anti-Christian by many American viewers, but also by others. Following the backlash, American technology company C Spire announced it would withdraw all its advertisements from the Olympics, stating it was “shocked by the mockery of the Last Supper.”

On Weibo, the related hashtag garnered a staggering 530 million views. Top commenters humorously noted that amid discussions about being relaxed and tolerant in the West, it was surprising to find that “the most relaxed and tolerant of all is still CCTV, which still has the full video available online.”

Comments also joked about the Western reaction, saying, “It seems they went back to the Qing dynasty,” and “Who would have expected CCTV to be the most tolerant one of all?”

One commenter added, “Don’t worry, if you want to see the full ceremony, come to China Central Television; we’re so tolerant and relaxed here.”

Hashtags:

#️⃣ “Olympics Official Account Deletes Paris Opening Ceremony Video” #奥运会官号删除巴黎开幕式视频# (530 million views on Sunday).

 

🔹 Fourth and Fifth Gold: Chinese Men’s Double Diving 10m and Sheng Lihao’s 10m Air Rifle

 

It’s day three of the Olympics, with gold medals to be won in archery, artistic gymnastics, canoe slalom, mountain biking, equestrian, diving, judo, shooting, and skateboarding.

🥇 In diving, China’s Yang Hao (杨昊, @杨昊GoG) and Lian Junjie (廉君杰/@Diving练俊杰) became the number one hot topic on Weibo after they secured the first gold of the day in the men’s 10-metre synchronised platform event.

“We retrieved what we lost in Tokyo,” one top commenter said – as this was the only diving event China didn’t win in Tokyo.

🥇 Another gold medal was won by athlete Sheng Lihao (盛李豪) in the men’s shooting 10m air rifle competition. This is his second gold at the Olympics, as he also won China’s first gold in his competition alongside Huang Yuting (黄雨婷)on Saturday. He previously also won the silver medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics in the 10m air rifle event.

Huang Yuting also won an additional medal; she won silver in the women’s 10m air rifle final, just 0.1 points behind the Korean gold medalist.

Hashtags:

#️⃣ “Chinese Men’s Double Diving 10m Gold Medal” #中国队男双10米台金牌# (62 million Weibo views on Monday).

 

JULY 29

 

🔹 Online Criticism over Dutch Athlete Convicted for Rape

 

Dutch volleyball player Steven van der Velde made international headlines this Olympics, but not for his talent in sports. The 29-year-old was booed by the crowds on Monday after appearing at the match at Eiffel Tower Stadium. In 2016, Van der Velde was convicted for raping a 12-year-old girl and served a prison sentence.

On Chinese social media, Van der Velde’s participation in the Olympics became a top trending topic, with many questioning why he was allowed to compete.

“Are Dutch laws a joke?” some commenters wondered. “Why is he still allowed to compete in the Olympics?”

Hashtags:

#️⃣ “Olympic Athlete Once Convicted for Raping a 12-Year-Old Girl Gets Booed” #曾强奸12岁女孩奥运选手首秀遭嘘# (240 million views on Weibo).

 

🔹 The Most Unexpected Hashtag Thusfar

 

The most unexpected hashtag I’ve come across on Weibo during these Olympics thus far is “We thought foreigners were holding the Chinese flag” (#还以为是外国人在举中国国旗#).

The hashtag, initiated by the Migu Sports Channel account, shows an image with three foreigners sitting in the audience at the Olympics, with a Chinese flag held in front of them.

Although it looks like the foreigners were holding the flag, it later turns out that it is actually the Chinese audience members just below them holding up the flag.

Many commenters find the scene funny. One person says: “When I was watching [the Olympics] yesterday, I also thought it was a bunch of foreigners holding up the Chinese flag😂😂😂”

Hashtags:

#️⃣ “When You Thought It Was Foreigners Holding the Chinese Flag” #还以为是外国人在举中国国旗# (Over 17 million Weibo views on Monday).

 

JULY 30

 

🔹 Sixth Gold: Wang Chuqin/Sun Yingsha Win & Wang’s Paddle Gets Broken

 

The popular Chinese male table tennis athlete Wang Chuqin (王楚钦) and female professional table tennis player Sun Yunsha (孙颖莎) grabbed gold on July 30 during the mixed doubles final of table tennis, defeating the North Korean pair Ri Jong-sik and Kim Kum-yong.

There were various aspects of this event that triggered online discussions. Apart from all the speculation over the mysterious North Korean duo, one such incident was how, after the match, Wang Chuqin’s paddle was stepped on and broken by a photographer at the Olympic venue.

The paddle was allegedly inside his luggage when it got stepped on and broken. Many commenters were angry with the photographer for being so careless.

This China versus North Korea game is one of the events that has attracted most attention on Weibo thus far, with one related hashtag getting over 950 million views.

Hashtags:

#️⃣ “Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha vs. Li Jeong-sik and Kim Kum-yong” #王楚钦孙颖莎vs李正植金琴英# (950 million Weibo hashtags).

 

🔹 Chinese Olympic Champion Li Xiaoshuang Criticizes Gymnastics Coaching Team

 

Chinese gymnast and Olympic champion Li Xiaoshuang (@李小双) went trending on social media for “saying what others dare not say.” During a livestream, the retired athlete harshly criticized the Chinese gymnastics coaching team.

The criticism comes after a disappointing performance on July 30 during China’s men’s team gymnastics final. The Chinese team was leading until Su Weide (苏炜德), a 24-year-old Olympic debutant, fell twice during his bar routine. Japan won the gold, and China took the silver.

Su Weide had been temporarily added to the Olympic team after main team member Sun Wei (孙伟) injured his right ankle during training.

According to Li Xiaoshuang, one of the problems for the Chinese team is that people often blame the athletes for not winning when it is actually the coaching team that should be held accountable for China losing out on gold. Li argues that people forget the importance of leadership. Not only do some of the training methods need to be improved or updated, but the way young talent is selected also needs to change.

The focus should be on who has the final say in the coaching team, Li said, as the decision to add the 24-year-old Su Weide to the national team at the last minute was a risky move. He also added that if the team doesn’t focus on developing younger talents, they’ll have another problem for the next Olympics.

Hashtags:

#️⃣ “Gymnastics Champion Li Xiaoshuang Angrily Criticizes the Gymnastics Coaching Team” #李小双怒斥中国体操教练组# (160 million Weibo views).

 

JULY 31

 

🔹 Seventh Gold!

 

🥇 While many are still processing the disappointment over Wang Chuqin’s performance, there is already another moment of celebration as the Chinese duo Quan Hongchan (全红婵) and Chen Yuxi (陈芋汐) secured gold in the women’s synchronized 10m platform event. This marks China’s 7th gold medal at the Paris Olympics.

China’s 7th gold medal celebrated on Chinese social media by the official sponsors.

Quan and Chen are part of China’s renowned “Diving Dream Team” (跳水梦之队): the exceptional Chinese national diving team.

Hashtags:

#️⃣ “Golden Medal for Quan Hongchan and Chen Yuxi” #全红婵陈芋汐金牌# (150 million weibo views shortly after the win).

 

AUGUST 1

 

🔹 It’s Raining Gold

 

These Olympics have sparked intense discussions on Chinese social media, with so much happening that some people are joking about needing a post-Olympic holiday to rest once Paris 2024 is over.

With ten eleven gold medals, China currently leads the Paris medal count. However, China does not have the most medals overall. Team China has a total of 20 21 medals: ten eleven gold, seven silver, and three bronze. Meanwhile, France holds 26 medals, eight of which are gold. Japan ranks third with eight gold medals and 15 medals overall.

China’s ninth, tenth, and eleventh gold medals were won by:

🥇 Shooting 50 Metre Rifle Three Positions (Men’s): Liu Yukun (刘宇坤)

🥇 Swimming 100 Metre Freestyle (Men’s): Pan Zhanle (潘展乐)

🥇 Athletics 20 Kilometres Walk (Women’s): Yang Jiayu (杨家玉)

 

AUGUST 2

 

🔹 Shi Yuqi Apologizes for Not Winning Gold

 

“I’m sorry, I apologize for not being able to win another medal for the Chinese team,” Shi Yuqi (石宇奇) wrote on Weibo on Friday.

The professional badminton player from China, known for his impressive achievements in men’s singles events, lost to Thai player Kunlavut Vitidsarn during the men’s singles badminton quarterfinals and failed to reach the semifinals.

His apology became a top trending topic on Weibo, where some commenters suggested that the public’s expectations for Shi Yuqi were too high—he was aiming to compete for the gold medal. “You did what you could,” some wrote. “Don’t look at Weibo for the next couple of days, and get some rest.”

In previous years, Shi has faced tough times, particularly after he was banned from Chinese badminton for almost a year in 2022 due to controversial actions and remarks during the 2021 Thomas Cup semifinals in Denmark against Japan’s Kento Momota. After losing the first game (20-22), Momota was ahead in the second game when Shi decided to retire from the match. Afterward, he commented, “If I retire at 20 points, technically, I haven’t lost yet,” which led to his suspension for misconduct.

Hashtags:

#️⃣ “Shi Yuqi vs. Kunlavut” #石宇奇vs昆拉武特#

#️⃣ “Shi Yuqi Apologizes” #石宇奇道歉#

 

🔹 From Olympic Rings to Wedding Rings

 

China’s 12th gold medal on Friday became even more special when Olympic champion Huang Yaqiong (黄雅琼) was proposed to by her teammate and men’s doubles player, Liu Yuchen (刘雨辰). Liu got down on one knee and popped the question right after Huang’s award ceremony.

It was later reported that Huang was unaware of the proposal beforehand, although everyone else on the team, except her Olympic partner Zheng Siwei, was in on the secret.

Huang shortly after the proposal, image shared on Weibo.

This is not the first time a Chinese athlete has been proposed to during the Olympics. In 2016, Chinese diver He Zi (何姿) was also surprised by a proposal from fellow diver Qin Kai (秦凯). While fans loved the romantic moment, it also received criticism, with some feeling that He Zi might have felt pressured during a moment that was supposed to celebrate her Olympic achievements rather than her personal life.

Hashtags:

#️⃣ “Sweet Olympic Proposal” #奥运求婚太甜了#

#️⃣ “Huang Yaqiong Gets Proposed To” #黄雅琼被求婚了#

 

🔹 Still Holding Number One

 

China is still holding the number one spot in the Paris gold medal rankings on Friday night, just before entering the second week of the Paris 2024 Olympics. China now holds 13 gold medals.

🥇 China’s 13th gold was won by Wang Zongyuan (王宗源) and Long Daoyi (龙道一) in the men’s 3m springboard final. It was the first time the two participated together at the Olympics.

🥇 China’s 12th gold was in badminton by Huang Yaqiong (黄雅琼) and Zheng Siwei (郑思维) – China’s first badminton gold medal of Paris 2024 in the mixed doubles against South Korea.

 

AUGUST 3

 

🔹 Eileen Gu Deletes Compliment on French Star Swimmer’s Account

 

A bit of sideline Olympic drama was trending on Weibo on Saturday. Léon Marchand, the famous French Olympic swimmer who won his fourth gold, was accused of ignoring a handshake from Team China’s coach Zhu Zhigen (朱志根) (#马尔尚无视汪顺教练握手#).

A brief video of the incident has been trending (watch) that shows the Chinese coach approaching Marchand to congratulate him. Marchand appears to see Zhu reaching out his hand but ignores him and walks on.

Chinese-American freestyle skier Eileen Gu, known as Gu Ailing (谷爱凌) in China, previously had some online interactions with the French athlete, including a compliment on his most recent Olympic achievement. After the controversy over the ignored handshake, Eileen Gu’s compliment to him (“incredible”) disappeared. Netizens noted that Gu had deleted her previous interactions with him on Instagram, which became a trending topic on Saturday night (#谷爱凌删了给马尔尚的所有ins评论#).

Gu was praised for deleting her compliments to the ‘rude’ Olympic swimmer.

Later, there was another twist in the ‘handshake incident’ when it was reported that Marchand, upon learning of the controversy, went to the Chinese team’s rest area with the French swimming team coach to explain and apologize for the incident (#马尔尚道歉了#). Many netizens, however, find his behaviour inexcusable.

 

🔹 “Chinese people should feel happy and proud”

 

“After watching tonight’s badminton, table tennis, and tennis matches, Chinese people should feel happy and proud,” blogger Wang Qiao (@王乔) wrote on August 3, concluding a day in which China won three more gold medals (bringing the total to 16!), along with four silver and two bronze. Besides the gold for Chen Meng in table tennis, there was gold for Zheng Qinwen in tennis and badminton gold.

🥇 The gold for Zheng Qinwen (#郑钦文金牌#) was especially noteworthy, as Zheng is the first Chinese Olympic tennis champion since 2004.

🥇 The badminton gold was won by Jia Yifan (贾一凡) and Chen Qingchen (陈清晨) as they beat compatriots Liu Shengshu (刘圣书) and Tan Ning (谈宁) in the women’s doubles final.

 

🔹 Chen Meng Defeats Teammate Sun Yingsha

 

🥇 In the women’s singles table tennis final on Saturday, table tennis star Chen Meng (陈梦) defeated her teammate Sun Yingsha (孙颖莎) to win the championship – a repeat of the Tokyo 2020 final. After winning, the two athletes smiled and hugged—photos published on Weiboby People’s Daily received nearly 117,000 likes.

Chen Meng is the third Chinese to win back-to-back Olympic table tennis women’s singles titles. She is following in the footsteps of Deng Yaping (邓亚萍) preceded her by winning Olympic Gold in 1992 (Barcelona) and 1996 (Atlanta); and Zhang Yining (张怡宁), who grabbed gold in 2004 (Athens) and 2008 (Beijing).

Her dad, who was watching from hometown Qingdao, was emotional about Chen’s amazing win. See here.

Hashtags:

#️⃣ “Chen Meng Defends her Championship” #陈梦卫冕冠军# (290 million Weibo views shortly after winning, 510 million views later on, 880 million views the next day).

 

AUGUST 4

 

🔹 More Gold and Counting, but US Tops Gold Medal Table

 

Before we lose count, the latest golden medals, bringing the total gold for China to 19:

🥇 Men’s Swimming 4×100 medley relay brought gold for China as Pan Zhanle (潘展乐), Xu Jiayu (徐嘉余), Qin Haiyang (覃海洋), and Sun Jiajun (孙嘉骏) won in a time of three minutes, 27.46 seconds.

🥇 Chinese table tennis player Fan Zhendong (樊振东) beat Sweden’s Möregårdh (4-1) to win his first individual Olympic gold medal in Paris.

🥇 China won its first gymnastics gold medal of the Paris Olympics as Liu Yang led all the way to win the men’s rings event.

Despite China’s many medals during the Olympics, the US has overtaken China for the number one position in the gold medal table. The US now holds 20 gold medals and 71 medals overall, while China has 19 gold medals and 45 medals in total.

 

🔹 They Cheered for Taiwan: Spectator Removed, Poster Snatched

 

Another incident that has sparked online discussions occurred on the sidelines of the Olympic competitions during Friday’s badminton events.

A woman held up a poster shaped like Taiwan with the words “Come on Taiwan!” While an Olympic security guard was addressing the situation, a man, presumably Chinese, approached, stood in front of the sign, and then pulled it down and snatched it away. Security personnel subsequently removed the man from the venue.

In the same match, a spectator holding a Taiwan banner was confronted by security and reportedly removed from the arena.

Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated it “strongly condemns the crude and despicable means of malicious individuals ruthlessly snatching the ‘Go Taiwan’ slogan.”

The IOC only allows flags of competing countries and Taiwan competes as Chinese Taipei (TPE).

A nationalistic blogging account reposted photos and videos of the incidents on Weibo, where many commenters praised the Chinese man for snatching the poster and agreed with the removal of the banner. Some people, however, questioned why a simple scarf or banner merely saying “Taiwan” was not allowed, as it did not explicitly promote Taiwan independence.

 

🔹 Criticism of Sun Yingsha’s Extreme Fans

 

In recent days, there has been online criticism regarding the overwhelming fan support for Chinese table tennis star Sun Yingsha (孙颖莎). During the August 3 match, when Chen Meng (陈梦) defeated Sun, the boos and cheers from spectators at the Olympic venue clearly showed that many Chinese fans supported Sun over Chen, despite both being members of Team China.

Beijing News (新京报) columnist Su Shiyi (苏士仪) criticized Sun Yingsha’s fans, suggesting that those booing Chen were ruining the atmosphere. “Such fan behavior obviously conflicts with the true spirit of sports and, to some extent, even tarnishes the sports spirit.”

Famous table tennis player and former Olympic medalist Deng Yaping (邓亚萍) also criticized the extreme fandom culture (饭圈文化) surrounding Sun, stating: “It’s all Team China; you can favor someone without attacking the other.”

Hashtags:

#️⃣ “Fan Culture Stains the Sport Spirit” #饭圈文化玷污了体育精神#

 

AUGUST 5

 

I haven’t had time for a full update today, as I’m preparing for the upcoming edition of the Weibo Watch newsletter. Please check back later for more on the ongoing discussions.

🥇🥇 Gold Medal Update: By Sunday night, China reclaimed the top position on the gold medal table. Team China secured two more golds with more outstanding performances. Sport shooter Li Yuehong (李越宏) clinched the gold in the Men’s 25-metre rapid-fire pistol event, while artistic gymnast Zou Jingyuan (邹敬园), known as the “King of Parallel Bars,” triumphed and won his second gold medal.

 

AUGUST 6

 

🔹 Quan Hongchan Breaks Fu Mingxia Record

 

Alongside Olympic stars like table tennis champions Sun Yingsha and Wang Chuqin, and swimmer Pan Zhanle, Chinese springboard diver Quan Hongchan (全红婵) has been one of the most-discussed athletes on Chinese social media during Paris 2024.

The diving star is not just noteworthy for her funny expressions (she can’t seem to hide her emotions and is lovably awkward), but also because she is an incredibly talented athlete.

In the women’s 10-meter platform diving final at the Paris Olympics, Quan Hongchan won the gold medal, securing the 22nd gold for Team China in Paris 🥇. In doing so, she broke the record of former Chinese diver Fu Mingxia (伏明霞) and became the youngest triple Olympic champion in China’s history at just 17 years old.

This was her second gold in Paris, after winning gold with Chen Yuxi (陈芋汐) in the women’s synchronized 10m platform event. She previously won gold in the women’s 10m platform at the Tokyo Olympics, at just 14 years old!

Quan Hongchan is honored on social media by Chinese Oympic sponsors.

Chinese springboard diver Fu Mingxia won her first Olympic gold medal in the women’s 10-meter platform at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics at 13. She later won two golds in Atlanta, but she was almost 18 at the time—Quan Hongchan is younger now than Fu was in 1996.

Emotional Quan after her gold medal win.

On Weibo, many people are congratulating Quan on her win. At the same time, they also adore her because she is still so young, and sports fans have watched her mature since the Tokyo Olympics. The moment she won her medal and fell into the arms of her coach, crying, is being shared all over social media.

Hashtags:

#️⃣ “Quan Hongchan Becomes China’s Youngest Triple Medial Champion” #全红婵成中国奥运最年轻三金王#

#️⃣ “Quan Hongchan Breaks Fu Mingxia Record” #全红婵打破伏明霞纪录#

 

AUGUST 7

 

🔹 China’s First Gold of Weightlifting, First Artistic Swimming Gold

 

🥇 China took gold in the artistic swimming team event on Wednesday night. This win in artistic swimming (also called synchronized swimming) was particularly special, as Russia, now absent from the 2024 Paris Olympics, had dominated the gold medals in this event since 2000.

🥇 Li Fabin (李发彬) secured China’s 23rd gold medal on Wednesday in the men’s 61kg weightlifting division. The 31-year-old athlete set an Olympic record by lifting 143kg in the snatch and 167kg in the clean and jerk weightlifting exercise.

 

AUGUST 8

 

🔹 Wang Chu-KING

 

It’s clear that Chinese table tennis star Wang Chuqin is one of the most popular athletes on Chinese social media during these Olympics. He is also affectionately called “Wang Chu-KING” (王楚king).

On Thursday, Wang competed in the men’s semifinals alongside his teammate Ma Long (马龙) against France. If Team China manages to secure a victory in the men’s team event against Sweden on Friday, and the women’s team wins on Saturday, there could be a historic achievement for China at these Olympics: winning all five table tennis gold medals in Paris (they have already claimed gold in mixed doubles and both men’s and women’s singles).

There has been a lot to do about Wang these Olympics, not just because of his athletic performance, but also due to some controversies. After winning gold Wang’s favorite paddle was stepped on and broken by a photographer at the Olympic venue on July 30. Although the photographer was identified by Chinese netizens has having the ‘3488’ number on his back, there was no follow-up in the issue.

Another incident involved a Swedish journalist bumping into Wang at the Olympic venue. Many viewers suggested she intentionally rammed into him, and some sources claim that the journalist was banned from the venue, although this has not been reported by other media outlets.

 

🔹 Three More Gold

 

🥇 Thursday brought three more gold medals. Liu Hao (刘浩) and Ji Bowen (季博文) competed for gold in the men’s canoe double 500m final. Xie Siyi (谢思易) excelled in the men’s 3m springboard diving, and Luo Shifang (罗诗芳) secured victory in the Women’s 59kg weightlifting event.

 

🔹 Waking Up to Five New Medals

 

On Thursday, People’s Daily started the day on social media with the hashtag “Woke Up To Find Team China Won 3 Gold 2 Silver 1 Bronze” (#一觉醒来中国队再夺3金2银1铜#)

Due to the time difference between Paris and Beijing, gold medals won in Paris are sometimes celebrated a day later in China, with people waking up to check the result of the Wednesday nights in Paris.

On Weibo, state media outlet People’s Daily publishes it “jet leg diary” or “time difference diary” to keep readers up to date on what happened at Olympics while they were sleeping. The main title says: “Rushing towards victory.”

The golden medals are for Li Fabin (weightlifting) and the artistic swimming team, as described before.

🥇 Another gold, China’s 25th, is for Hou Zhihui in the women’s 49 kg final. Hou also won in Tokyo three years ago.

The other medals were awarded to 24-year-old female weightlifter Guo Qing (郭清), who won silver; Cao Liguo (曹利国) in the 60-kg Greco-Roman event, who also won silver; and female wrestler Feng Ziqi (冯紫琪) in the Women’s Freestyle 50kg category, who won bronze.

 

AUGUST 9

 

🔹 From Boxing to Canoe Gold

 

By Friday night, China is back at the number one spot in the gold medal rankings with 32 medals – the US is is second place with 30. Not that we’re counting, of course…

🥇 Chang Yuan (常园) was announced the winner of the women’s boxing 54kg final against Hatice Akbas of Türkiye.

🥇 The Chinese pair of Xu Shixiao (徐诗晓) and Sun Mengya (孙梦雅) grabbed gold in the women’s 500m canoe double.

🥇 Chen Yiwen (陈艺文) won the seventh gold for the Chinese diving “dream team” at the Paris Olympics by winning the women’s 3m springboard gold.

🥇 The most-anticipated gold of the day is for Fan Zhendong (樊振东), Ma Long (马龙), Wang Chuqin (王) at the men’s table tennis, meaning Team China now has four medals in table tennis – just one more to go in the women’s table tennis and China will have all five!

New updates following very soon. In the meantime, also check the latest Weibo Watch newsletter.

 

AUGUST 10

 

🔹 From Boxing to Canoe Gold

 

In these last days of the Paris Olympics, China keeps adding gold medals to its list and switching places with US on who ranks first on the gold medal table. By Saturday night, there were 37 gold medals in total for China, which again ranked first in gold medals, with US coming second.

🥇 Wu Yu (吴愉) won the gold medal in Women’s 50kg, defeating her Turkish opponent by 4-1. Wu Yu is China’s 2nd woman boxer to have become an Olympic champion – just a day earlier, Chang Yuan was the first.

🥇 Liu Huanhua (刘焕华) won the men’s 102kg weighlifting title with a total of 406kg.

🥇 China won its first-ever Olympic gold medal in the women’s rhythmic gymnastics group all-around, with team members Wang Lanjing (王澜静), Ding Xinyi (丁欣怡), Guo Qiqi (郭崎琪), Hao Ting (郝婷), Huang Zhang Jiayang (黄张嘉洋).

🥇 Cao Yuan (曹缘) successfully defended his title in the men’s 10-metre platform diving. This means that all eight gold medals in diving are for China at the Paris Olympics.

🥇 Chen Meng (陈梦), Sun Yingsha (孙颖莎), and Wang Manyu (王曼昱) did it! They won the fifth gold in table tennis in Paris. This means that China now has 37 of the 42 golds since table tennis first came to the Summer Olympics in 1988.

 

AUGUST 10/11

 

🔹 Boxing Gold for Li Qing

 

🥇 Chinese boxer Li Qing (李倩) became a number one trending topic on Weibo in the early hours of Sunday morning (China time) for her gold medal in the women’s boxing 75kg category (#李倩拳击75公斤级金牌#).

Li Qing’s opponent was the strong Panamanian boxer Atheyna Bylon.

At Chinese state media outlet Xinhua, they’re struggling to keep up with the medal count. Just after China won its 39th medal with Li Qian’s gold, “urgent” (obviously a note to the editor) accidentally sneaked into the published headline.😂

 

🔹 Fan Zhendong: “Table Tennis Might Not Be My Future”

 

As the Paris Olympics draw to a close, it’s clear that table tennis has been the most-discussed and popular event among Chinese fans. On Saturday night, table tennis-related topics continued to dominate Weibo’s trending list.

A top trending topic centered on Fan Zhendong (樊振东) is about Fan suggesting that his future may not necessarily involve table tennis. The topic arose during an interview where Fan was asked about his plans after Paris.

“It won’t necessarily involve table tennis, but it will definitely be good,” he said.

Thousands of people have commented, expressing their sympathy for Fan and wishing their “Little Fatty” (小胖, Fan’s affectionate nickname) well. During these Olympics, Fan defeated Sweden’s Möregårdh to win his first individual Olympic gold medal in Paris.

Hashtags:

#️⃣ “Fan Zhendong Says His Future Might Not Necessarily Involve Table Tennis” #樊振东说未来不一定是乒乓球了# (over 410 million views).

 

🔹 The Twin Swimmers

 

🥇 Twin sisters Wang Liuyi (王柳懿) and Wang Qianyi (王芊懿) secured China’s 38th gold medal on Saturday night (Paris time) in the synchronized swimming duet. This marks their second medal in Paris, following their victory in the artistic swimming team event.

 

AUGUST 11

 

🔹 Li Wenwen’s Gold: A New Record for China

 

Chinese state media are praising Li Wenwen (李雯雯), who claimed gold in the +81kg weightlifting event with a total of 309kg. It’s China’s 40th gold medal on this final day of the Olympics.

Xinhua is praising weightlifter Li on Weibo.

Li Wen’s reaction to her win was heartwarming and hilarious. She scooped up her coach like he was light as a feather (he had zero choice) and brought him on stage to celebrate her win with her. Even the Chinese commentator called her adorable (see screenshots).

This result surpasses the 39 gold medals won by the Chinese delegation at the London Olympics, marking the highest number of gold medals China has ever won at an overseas Olympics. However, it is not their best overall gold medal count: during the 2008 Beijing Olympics, China secured 48 gold medals.

 

🔹 Tennis Skirts Are All The Rage

 

On this last day of the Olympics, the hashtag “Tennis Skirts Becoming New Work Uniform” (#网球裙快成了打工人的新班服#) is trending, with some workers opting to wear tennis skirts to the office in these summer days.

This tennis skirt trend is part of a broader phenomenon where clothing, shoes, or accessories worn by Olympic champions quickly become online hits, highlighting that Olympic athletes have more influence than many Chinese celebrities.

China’s Caijing News noted that while tennis skirts were already popular this year, Zheng Qinwen’s recent win has further inspired consumers to incorporate tennis gear into their daily wardrobes.

 

AUGUST 12

 

🔹 Quan Hongchan’s Hometown Celebrates Her Win

 

As the Olympics have come to a close, in the hometown of Olympic star Quan Hongchan, it’s finally time to replace the Tokyo Olympics poster with one celebrating her success in Paris. 🎉🥇

To recap her achievements: In 2021, the young springboard diver from Guangdong won gold in the women’s 10m platform at the Tokyo Olympics, at just 14 years old. At the Paris Olympics, alongside Chen Yuxi, Quan secured gold in the women’s synchronized 10m platform event on July 31st. On August 6th, she also won gold in the women’s 10-meter platform diving final (with barely a splash).

By winning her first gold in Tokyo and her third Olympic medal in Paris, she broke the record of former Chinese diver Fu Mingxia (伏明霞). At just 17 years old, she became China’s youngest triple Olympic champion. It’s easy to see why her hometown is so proud of her! 💯

Hashtags:

#️⃣ “Quan Hongchan’s Hometown in Guangdong Hangs Up a New Poster” #全红婵广东老家竖起新海报#

 

🔹 300 Medals

 

I’m going to wrap up this thread here. Stay tuned, as I’ll be starting a new post on the Paralympics soon (link to follow).

China is reflecting on a highly successful Olympics in Paris, where the country made history by securing its 300th gold medal. With 40 gold medals and 91 overall, China shares the top spot with the US in the gold medal rankings and ranks second overall.

A poster on social media celebrates China’s 300th Olympic medal. The milestone was achieved on August 10th with the women’s table tennis victory.

 

🔹Chinese Olympic Athletes Top 10 Most Meme-Worthy Moments

 

Time to revisit some of the most noteworthy moments that happened on the sidelines or podiums of the Olympics! I just finished this article listing my favorite top 10 moments, check it out here.

 

Thanks for following!
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By Manya Koetse

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