Figure 1: Opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Image Chinese picture ②: Liu Xiang won the men's 110-meter hurdles in the 2004 Athens Olympics. Image China
The opening ceremony of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. Photo by Liu Xin
At the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, Yang Yang (formerly) won the first Winter Olympic gold medal for China. Image China
On July 13, 2001, people celebrated the successful bid for Beijing's Olympic Games in CCTV Studio. Photo by Wang Wenbo
At the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, the Chinese women's volleyball team defeated the United States and won the gold medal. Image China
At the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, Xu Haifeng won the first Olympic gold medal for China. Image China
At the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics, Liu Changchun, the "No. 1 Person in China's Olympics", participated in the track and field competition. Image China
Source of data: China Olympic Committee
June 23rd is another Olympic Day.
Looking back, the Olympic light shines in the distance and beside you.
In the competitive arena, Chinese athletes carry forward the Chinese sports spirit and the Olympic spirit, allowing the spirit of the Chinese nation and the spirit of the times to complement each other, vividly presenting the thousands of Chinese-style modernization.
In the streets and alleys, there are leaping figures and fitness teams, enjoying the joy of sports and witnessing the sonorous pace of building a strong sports country and a healthy China.
“Mutual understanding, friendship, unity and fair competition”. In the new journey, each of us is an interpreter and conveyer of the Olympic spirit and a participant of the Olympic spirit.
--editor
Everyone is an Olympic participant
Sun Yingsha
Sun Yingsha
Looking back at the Doha World Table Tennis Championships that ended not long ago, I am still excited. After resisting the pressure and successfully defending the women's singles championship, Bach, then President of the International Olympic Committee, personally presented me with the championship trophy, which inspired me. In the arena, the ball never falls and never gives up. Try your best, challenge your limits, and surpass yourself. This is the eternal pursuit of the Olympic motto of "faster, higher, stronger--more unity".
In 2008, I watched the Beijing Olympics in front of the TV. The wonderful showdown between Zhang Yining and Wang Nan was exciting. At the award ceremony, the scene of three five-star red flags rising at the same time igniting the national pride of countless Chinese people. At that time, I had been in contact with table tennis for less than three years, and the seeds of the Olympics had quietly taken root in my heart.
Since then, my life has a direction. Every time I pick up the ball, I always think about filling the ball basin so that I can play a few more balls; when I am so tired that I can't even lift my arms, I still can't help but wave the slap when I see the jumping white ball. After joining the provincial team, I have more strict requirements on myself. I wake up one hour earlier than others in each training, and I have to practice for dozens of minutes after training. I know that when I am determined to fight for the honor of the motherland, I cannot tolerate a slight slackness.
Work hard will not let down every dream chaser. When I was 20 years old, I won my first Olympic gold medal. Standing on the highest podium and hearing the national anthem sound, I deeply felt that only by combining personal dreams with the honor of the motherland can a person have that indestructible power.
The road to growth will never be smooth sailing. The cruelty of competitive sports is that there is only one champion. But countless stories in the history of the Olympics tell us that as long as we try our best to our dreams, everyone can become their own champion.
At the Paris Olympics, I played three games, did my best to win 5 gold medals for the national table tennis team, and also had a new understanding of the Olympic spirit. After the mixed doubles final, we took a photo with foreign athletes; at the closing ceremony, I stood with Chairman Bach and athletes from all continents... These heartwarming scenes are deeply frozen in my mind. Sports is a force that promotes peace, and "more unity" demonstrates the mission of the Olympics in the times.
Sports is a common language all over the world, and everyone is a participant in the Olympics. I am very happy to see that more and more sports enthusiasts are sweating to their fullest and add color to their healthy life with sports. I believe that everyone's love for sports and persistence for their dreams will jointly gather the glory of the Olympics and contribute more sports strength to building a community with a shared future that connects mountains and seas and has a blind date in humanities.
(The author is an athlete of the Chinese table tennis team, and the interview and collated by our reporter Sun Longfei)
Coventry, the new president of the International Olympic Committee
Change starts with listening
Reporter Liu Shuoyang
At the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, a 9-year-old Zimbabwean girl stared at the TV and saw her compatriots showing her heroic posture in the diving arena. "I will also participate in the Olympics one day to win the gold medal for Zimbabwe!" She made a volunteer.
33 years later, the girl not only has already realized her wish, but also stood out from the seven candidates at the 144th plenary session of the International Olympic Committee held on March 20, local time in Greece and was elected as the tenth president of the International Olympic Committee.
Coventry
She is Costy Coventry, the first IOC president and female president from Africa in history. On the Olympic Day on June 23, Coventry will officially take over Thomas Bach.
In 1983, Coventry was born in Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe. Under the leadership of his family, Coventry was exposed to swimming when he was a child and joined the swimming club at the age of 6.
When he was an athlete, Coventry competed in the 5 Olympic Games and tasted all kinds of tastes. At the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Coventry first appeared on the Olympic stage and participated in the competition for four swimming events. Four years later, at the Athens Olympics, she was more mature and shining, winning three medals in one fell swoop, including the women's 200m backstroke gold medal, which is also the first individual Olympic gold medal in Zimbabwe's history. At the Beijing Olympics, Coventry won 1 gold and 3 silver, becoming one of the best athletes in African history.
Coventry continued to compete in the London and Rio Olympics, and then gradually faded out of the arena. At this time, she already had a new role. In 2013, she joined the International Olympic Committee as a member of the Athlete Committee and served as chairman of the Athlete Committee from 2018 to 2021.
From spectators to Olympic champions, from athlete committee chairs to IOC presidents, the test outside the pool is equally difficult for this former Olympic swimming champion.
“I have to know carefully about the needs and expectations of athletes and how they view their role in the Olympics in the future.” After taking over as president of the International Olympic Committee, Coventry’s work began with listening. “In order to better support athletes to realize their Olympic dreams, we must listen carefully to their voices.”
Hosting the Olympics well at the top athlete level and spreading Olympic values at the community level is Coventry’s basic work idea for new roles. At the same time, strengthening the connection with national (regional) Olympic committees and promoting the younger generation to participate in the Olympic movement are also in her work plan.
Regarding the election of the former Olympic champion, some people believe that the current policy will be continued, while others expect her to accelerate the reform of the Olympics. How to face the politicization of sports, how to attract a new generation of young people, how to use new technologies such as artificial intelligence... Coventry is not a smooth road. "My door is always open to everyone. I look forward to listening to everyone in the future, ensuring that the Olympics always keep pace with the times, strong and powerful, and leaving an outstanding legacy for the younger generation," Coventry said.
athlete
Freestyle skiing aerial skills athlete Wang Xindi
"Work hard and become a better self"
Reporter Ji Fang
Assisting skating, jumping, churn, and entering the water... Athlete Wang Xindi's movements were completed in one go. On June 16, at the Qinhuangdao Training Base in Hebei, the national training team for freestyle skiing aerial skills started pool training.
Pool training is a supplement to snow training and an important part of the team's summer training. "This week is mainly adaptive training. We will have to impact on difficult movements later and improve stability." Wang Xindi set a clear goal for his summer training.
Wang Xindi
With only more than 200 days left before the opening of the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics, the sprint preparation competition of the freestyle ski aerial skills team has already started.
This is Wang Xindi's third Winter Olympics preparation cycle. At the age of 30, he has practiced freestyle skiing aerial skills for 18 years. He has participated in many competitions and won many world championships. However, it was always a regret in his heart that he failed to stand on the podium of the Winter Olympics.
"The Olympic stage is the dream that every athlete pursues for the rest of his life. I want to fight for my dream again." Wang Xindi said that when preparing for the Milan Winter Olympics, he is more mature in his skills and mentality, and his goals are more firm. In order to polish the details of the movements, Wang Xindi often takes the initiative to practice. “Training is about constantly challenging and surpassing yourself. Although the process is not easy, I enjoy it very much,” he said. “In the past, I always think about the outcome, but now I focus more on the process. The process is done in place and the results will come naturally.”
The countdown card on the training ground records the passage of time. "Everyone in the team is working very hard and hard. I will work hard for my Olympic dream and become a better self." Wang Xindi said.
volunteer
Beijing Winter Olympics volunteer Xu Tianran
“Everything is very touching”
Tao Xiang'an and Wang Runqiu
Practice oral language, learn teaching skills, and understand customs and customs... Xu Tianran, who studied at Communication University of China, is recently preparing to go to the Romanian Confucius Institute as an international Chinese education volunteer in the second half of the year.
Xu Tianran, who grew up in Beijing, was influenced by this Double Olympic City since childhood. When the Beijing Winter Olympics officially recruited volunteers, she signed up without hesitation. During the Beijing Winter Olympics, many wonderful competitions left a deep impression on Xu Tianran. "When the athletes slide down the snow slope, all the audience cheered and celebrated, no matter where they came from. During the Paralympic Games, some players would accidentally miss the flag gate, but they would still try to move their bodies back to finish the competition... These moments deeply touched me." Xu Tianran recalled.
In Xu Tianran's eyes, the Olympic sentiment and charm are the motivation for him to participate in volunteer activities. "I met many new friends in volunteer activities. During the Beijing Winter Olympics, we learned language from many foreign volunteer friends; during the Harbin Asian Winter Games, a Thai athlete exchanged badges with me..." Xu Tianran said, "Every athlete on the field fights for the same dream, every staff outside the field works hard for the same goal, and every effort is very touching."
When he was in junior high school, Xu Tianran learned Tai Chi and martial arts and felt the charm of the excellent traditional Chinese culture. In her opinion, participating in various sports events is also a kind of inheritance of the Chinese sports spirit.
Xu Tianran
"After falling in love with sports, I feel that my body is stronger and my mood is more comfortable, and I also have a sense of accomplishment beyond myself," said Xu Tianran.
Enthusiasts
Sun Dianyun, organizer of the "Grandpa Football Team" in Kunming, Yunnan
"People will feel happier"
Reporter Chen Chenxi and Yang Wenming
At 10 a.m., the Ciba Farmers' Market in Panlong District, Kunming City, Yunnan Province was crowded with people. Through the stalls where hawking sounds come one after another, a green field comes into view - running, passing, passing, a football match is underway. What's special is that there are gray-haired "veterans" on the court.
"In our team, the 50-year-old is a young player, and the oldest is 90!" Sun Dianyun, 69, the organizer of this "Grandpa Football Team", said that every Tuesday and Friday are the days when they meet to play football. "No need to shout, everyone will be there spontaneously." Sun Dianyun said.
"The team was founded in 1982. More than 40 years have passed, and the players have exceeded 100. When they first started, they were borrowing stadiums." Sun Dianyun said that 10 years ago, the team had its own stadium at the Senior Activity Center in Ciba Street. "Now, we play football in groups every week, and participate in national competitions two to three times a year." Sun Dianyun said that in May this year, the team went to Weihai, Shandong to participate in the Lingang Xingtu Cup football match, winning the third place in the over 60-year-old group.
Sun Dianyun
For the "Grandpa Football Team", although their running speed and dribbling skills are no longer as good as before, they play football with a purer and more optimistic attitude.
"There is no scoreboard for the game, and there is no collision. The primary rule of this stadium." Sun Dianyun said with a smile, "Friendship first, health first, happiness first, harmony first, and competition fifth."
In addition to football, running, badminton, and air volleyball are all events that everyone often participate in. "Woke sweat and exercise more, people will feel happier." Sun Dianyun said that not long ago, they organized a "June 1st Old Naughty Boy" competition, and they will happily go to one game after another in the future.
(Intern Na Lin participated in the interview and writing)
