China celebrates Olympic result amid tension with USA
The controversy over cross-doping accusations has been one of the most prominent news stories before and during the Olympic Games. China came close to winning the medal count for the second time in its history with a smaller team than the USA.
Media and sports fans in China are pleased with what their country’s athletes have achieved in Paris 2024. Winning 91 medals and 40 gold medals is a great success. The only time they had a better performance was in Beijing 2008, when they were the hosts (100 medals, 48 golds), and they have won the same number of medals as in London 2012, but more golds now.
In China, many are making a comparison of the number of athletes the US took to Paris compared to the number China took. There was a difference of about 200, so some in China think that their result has more merit.
Reference has also been made to another of the great controversies of the Games: the participation of the Algerian boxer Imane Khelif. The silver medal in the -66 kg category went to China’s Yang Liu. If she had won the gold, China would have been first in the medal table.
There have also been messages from users of social networks, such as China’s Weibo, who have claimed victory for their country in the medal table because they have added the medals won by Chinese Taipei (two golds and five bronzes) and Hong Kong (two golds and two bronzes). China would therefore have 44 golds and would be the queen of Paris 2024.
The Chinese media praises the attitude of the Chinese athletes for demonstrating their abilities and for the development of the sport. They are used to competing at elite level and are able to question the superiority of the USA, something that has not been normal since the dissolution of the USSR and the fall of the Berlin Wall. It had only happened in Beijing.
In China, allusion is also made to the accusations that have come from the United States about doping. Reference has been made to the case of swimming, especially when Pan Zhanle broke the world record in the 100m freestyle with a time of 46.40.
Accusations have been made between the anti-doping agencies of the two countries, with the World Anti-Doping Agency in the middle. From the United States putting emphasis on a publication of The New York Times that claims that 23 Chinese swimmers tested positive after the Tokyo 2020 Games. And the Chinese agency responds with accusations of systemic abuse of anti-doping rules in the USA.
The next Games are in Los Angeles. The advantage will go to the USA, which will have an even larger delegation than usual. It remains to be seen how far China will be able to go in four years’ time, and whether the disputes over compliance will continue.