Published on : 01/08/2024
As the Paris Olympics 2024 are under way, the emerging Chinese Gen Z athletes, such as Quan Hongchan, Sun Yingsha, Wang Chuqin, and Sheng Lihao, are becoming the backbone of Team China.
Here's a look at the Chinese Gen Z sports stars who were born in the post-2000s generation and are creating a "youth storm" on the field.
Paris Olympics｜Shooting: Sheng Lihao
On the first day of the Paris Olympics, the Gen Z duo, 19-year-old Sheng Lihao (盛李豪) and 17-year-old Huang Yuting (黃雨婷) won the championship in the 10m air rifle mixed team event, bagging the first gold for Team China.
This is the first gold medal of the 2024 Paris Olympics, and also the first one won by the Chinese team at the Olympics this year.
In the subsequent men's 10m air rifle final, Sheng Lihao claimed his second gold, becoming the first athlete at the Paris Olympic to win two gold medals.
Another Gen Z representative of the Chinese shooting team, 24-year-old Xie Yu (謝瑜), also won the gold medal in the men's 10m air pistol event.
Paris Olympics｜Diving: Quan Hongchan and Chen Yuxi
Chinese teenage diver Quan Hongchan (全紅嬋) made a name for herself in the 10m platform event at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago, when she was only 14 years old.
Three years later, at the age of 17, Quan is looking to defend her title in the women's 10m platform diving event, and she again partners with 18-year-old Chen Yuxi (陳芋汐), who is also hailed as a prodigy, in the women's synchronised 10m platform event.
The two Gen Z athletes, who are both competitors and also best partners, have become one of the biggest attractions of this year's Olympics for Chinese audiences.
Amongst the Chinese Gen Z divers who strike gold at Paris Olympics, there are also Chang Yani (昌雅妮) and Lian Junjie (練俊傑), both aged 23. Chang and her teammate Chen Yiwen (陳藝文) demonstrated their great synergy, taking the title in the women's synchronised 3m springboard.
Lian Junjie partnered with Yang Hao and won the gold medal in men's synchronized 10m platform.
Paris Olympics｜Table Tennis: Sun Yingsha and Wang Chuqin
At the previous Olympics held in Tokyo, the Chinese table tennis team failed in the mixed doubles event.
This time in Paris, the task of vying for gold in mixed doubles has fallen to the Gen Z duo of 23-year-old Sun Yingsha (孫穎莎) and 24-year-old Wang Chuqin (王楚欽). Sun ranks world No.1 in women's singles, and Wang is also the current world No.1 paddler in men's singles.
Wang Chuqin has a quick and versatile playing style, with a sharp forehand attack; Sun excels in precise handling of the ball on the table and flexible footwork. In the hunt for the mixed doubles gold, the "Sha-Tou" pair reclaimed the "lost territories" for the Chinese team, winning the first gold medal in table tennis at the Paris Olympics.
Paris Olympics｜Gymnastics: Zhang Boheng
In the artistic gymnastics men's team final at the Paris Olympic Games, the Chinese team, composed of Zhang Boheng, Zhou Jingyuan, Liu Yang, Xiao Ruoteng, and Su Weide, was overtaken by the Japanese team, ultimately earning silver.
Among them, the 24-year-old athlete Zhang Boheng (張博恆) served as the team captain and has been hailed as the new gymnastics prince of the new Chinese generation.
To boost team morale, Zhang said in a post-match interview, "Our primary task at present is to uplift everyone's spirits, as there are still many competitions waiting for us."
In the men's team qualifying rounds, Zhang Boheng's performance was impressive, especially his complete set of moves on the bar was virtually flawless.
In the individual competition, Zhang ranked first in the overall and horizontal bar, and second on parallel bars, progressing to the finals of these three events.
Paris Olympics｜Emerging stars: Pan Zhanle, Zheng Qinwen, Li Wenwen
In swimming, China has a number of talented Gen Z athletes, including 20-year-old Tang Qianting (唐錢婷) who won silver in the women's 100m breaststroke, and 19-year-old Cheng Yujie (程玉潔) who clinched a bronze in the women's 4x100m freestyle relay.
Another highlight of the swimming events is the 19-year-old Pan Zhanle (潘展樂), also known as China's "Flying Fish". Pan just smashed his own world record on the way to winning the men’s 100me freestyle in Paris, finishing in 46.40 seconds for China’s first swimming gold medal of the Paris Olympics.
In badminton, according to the latest rankings from the World Badminton Federation, the Chinese badminton team secured the top seed spot in the men's singles, men's doubles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles.
In particular, the 23-year-old world champion Liang Weikeng (梁偉鏗) is participating in the Olympics for the first time and alongside his 23-year-old partner Wang Chang (王昶). This Gen Z pair has defeated teams from Canada, the United Kingdom, and Malaysia during the Paris Olympics.
Other Gen Z athletes worth noting also include China's top female tennis player, 21-year-old Zheng Qinwen (鄭欽文) and female weightlifting athlete, 24-year-old Li Wenwen (李雯雯).
Zheng Qinwen reversed the match in the third round of the women's singles tennis competition, defeating the American player and becoming the second Chinese player to reach the quarterfinals in the Olympic women's singles event after Li Na (李娜). Zheng aims to compete for a medal in women's singles.
Meanwhile, Li Wenwen will be competing for gold in the women's heavyweight event on the last day of the Paris Olympics, which will be worth watching.
In the previous Tokyo Olympics, Li Wenwen won gold in the women's heavyweight category with an invincible presence, setting three Olympic records.
Finally, it's worth mentioning the 14-year-old skateboarder Cui Chenxi (崔宸曦), who has made her Olympic debut and finished fourth in the women's street skateboarding competition, setting a new record for China in the Olympic skateboarding event.
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