China‘s Generation Z athletes make their mark at the Paris Olympics. They displayed their athletic talents as well as their authenticity, composure, determination, and confidence both on and off the field, defying the stereotypes.

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#1: Diving – Farmer’s girl turned world champion

Source of image: https://sports.yahoo.com/14-year-old-quan-hongchan-scores-2-perfect-10-s-in-historic-gold-medal-diving-performance-082004573.html

Quan Hong Chan was born as the third of five children in a family of farmers. Her mom lost the ability to work when Quan was ten, so the whole family relied on her dad’s income alone.

Her talent was discovered when she was seven years old. Her parents were very supportive of her decision to start competitive diving. Her brother has said, “She liked diving the first time she tried diving. When we go fishing and she sees water, she likes to play in the water. She likes to go to the beach too.”

Quan wanted to dive and earn money to restore her mom’s health.

#2: Tennis – Resilience of the first Asian champion

Zheng Qin Wen, a Chinese professional tennis player, won the gold medal in singles at the 2024 Paris Olympics. She is the first Asian tennis player, male or female, to win a singles Olympic gold.

Zheng wanted to compete in the Olympics from the age of six. She began playing tennis at age seven. Age of fourteen, she went to Europe and the US by herself for coaching.  It’s said that to keep fit for tennis, she never touches snacks or soft drinks.

Well-known for her strong mental strength, open ambition, and confidence, Zheng gained the nickname ‘Queen Wen’.

Watch her interview in English, in which she talked about how she never gave up and kept fighting, despite countless failures.

#3: Table tennis – 1 plus 1 larger than 2

Source of image: https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202310/1299376.shtml

Sun Ying Sha and Wang Chu Qin, both stellar table tennis players, share a lot in common. They both started playing table tennis before school age (Sin at four, Want at five). both became teenage national champions.

But then they formed a mixed double team, They had a lot to learn. They had to know each other’s style, learn how to cover for each other, and how to be a pair for international competitions under high pressure.

On the sports stage, they form a formidable pair. Off the stage, they have become good friends.

#4: Swimming – Accidental and ambitious champion

Pan Zhan Le is a Chinese freestyle swimmer, Olympic champion, and current world record holder of the 100-meter freestyle event.

Pan comes from an ordinary family, living with his grandparents and parents.  His family sent him to learn swimming as a hobby as he had too much energy.  He soon demonstrated his passion and talent.

In his spare time, he loves listening to music (Coldplay, etc.), watching cat videos, and collecting funny emojis.

At ten years old, his dream was to swim faster than the then-world champion. In 2024, he fulfilled his dream by breaking the men’s world record for a 100-meter swimming race.

#5: Artistic swimming – Learning from the best

The Chinese synchronized swimming team was established in the mid-1980s. It started late compared with other strong countries, but its performance has been rising steadily.

The team focuses on learning from advanced European and American countries. They frequently went to the United States and Europe for training and competitions and hired famous international coaches to participate in action choreography.

Watch their incredible performance during the 2024 Olympic Games, with the theme of speed and passion.

#6: Surfing – Rural girl with an unshakable spirit

Source of image: https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/article/3253948/china-has-its-first-olympic-surfer-yang-siqi-14-becomes-youngest-paris-qualifier

Yang Si Qi, from a landlocked region of rural China, first saw the sea when she was nine years old. This sparked a connection and set the stage for her surfing future.

“It’s not because I’m from a rural area and need sport as a way out, but because I love sport, and my parents respect and support my choice”.

Her early days were challenging as she could not swim. However, the hardships simply spurred her on to conquer her fears.

On her surfboard, she has written “Action is the foundation of life. Dream what you want to do, go where you want to go and become who you want to be. Because you only live once, you only have this one chance to do what you want to do.”

#7: Skateboarding – The power of love

Source of image: https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/sweet-13-china-s-cui-chenxi-queen-of-the-skateboard-teens-at-asian-games

Cui Chen Xi began rollerblading at the age of three with the help of her father who was a roller skater. She described her feeling for the sport as “It was love at first sight.”

She took up skateboarding in 2020 due to restrictions on rollerblading during the COVID-19 pandemic in China. She was ten at the time.

Before the national team selection, Cui suffered from a severe ankle sprain and lost a tooth, but she never complained.

“If a trick can‘t be done, I’ll practice another one first and come back to it after a few days. It might work then.” She ranked fourth during the 2024 Olympics at the age of fourteen.

#8: Freestyle BMX – Fearless 3-time career switcher

Source of image: https://olympics.com/en/news/paris-2024-cycling-all-results-deng-yawen-takes-womens-bmx-freestyle-gold

Deng Ya Wen became the first Chinese to win a medal in the freestyle BMX event and the first to capture gold.

She was born into an ordinary family and grew up with grandparents. Her first sport was track and field. But she had to give this up due to injury. Then she tried the javelin, but it didn’t work out.

When freestyle BMX became an Olympic sport, she switched to this sport and showed her talent. “When you have a firm goal, any difficulty becomes a small issue,” Deng told reporters after her win. “Everything revolves around achieving that goal.”

Her dream is to promote freestyle BMX to a wider audience.

#9: Shooting – A remarkable skill to focus

Source of image: https://english.news.cn/20230925/dfec3ab3f72245aaaaa78b21040ea0a1/c.html

Sheng Li Hao’s dad took him to a public park for a sports shooting game when he was thirteen. Despite it being his first attempt at this sport. Sheng scored 100%. He was recommended to pursue shooting with professional training.

He had to follow a strict training plan as he was too small to carry a gun steadily at the beginning. However, his remarkable ability to stay focused physically and mentally made him a natural in this sport.

Outside his sports career, he likes food and playing video games. When asked what he wanted to do after winning the Olympic medal, he replied ‘I wanted to taste homecooked braised pork belly”.

#10: Fencing – A well-rounded vegan fencer

Source of image: https://www.tatlerasia.com/gen-t/leadership/meet-fencer-vivian-kong-hong-kong-olympic-gold-medallist

Vivian Kong Man Wai won gold in women‘s individual épée at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, on behalf of Hong Kong, China.

Before taking up fencing, she forayed into ballet and taekwondo. She started fencing at the age of eleven and chose épée, saying it “combined the speed of taekwondo and the grace of ballet”.

Vivian graduated from Stanford University in international relations. She then pursued a Master of Law at Renmin University of China. She now is studying for a Doctor degree at the Faculty of Law at The Chinese University of Hong Kong and aspires to work for the UN.

Outside fencing, she plays piano, promotes being a vegan, and encourages sports among children. Watch this video about the story of Vivian Kong.