A More Mature Olympic Attitude

A More Mature Olympic Attitude

The quadrennial summer Olympic Games is a sports’ event unlike any other. Winning gold and glory for China is both the mission of the nation’s Olympic competitors and the expectation that people throughout the country have of their athletes.

Against this backdrop, the first gold medal attained for China at each Olympic Games draws a high level of attention from the public. And, all medal winners, particularly those who claim gold, gain enthusiastic applause.

In 1984, shooter Xu Haifeng won China’s very first Olympic gold medal, and in 2008, the host nation topped the gold medal tally. These achievements greatly encouraged people in China. The joy of success, however, is often tinged with the frustration of failure. Treating the two with equanimity is a challenge for both ordinary people and sports officials.

As sport in China progresses, attitudes toward Olympic participation are changing for the better. Since the current Rio Games got underway, attention to the Olympic spirit has surpassed the focus on gold, as evidenced by media reports, the reactions from TV audiences, and comments on social media.

Although the failure of Team China to claim a gold medal in its strong events on the first day of the Rio Games drew negative comments from some quarters, a greater proportion of the media and wider society took the outcomes in their stride, either analyzing the reasons or encouraging the athletes.

Swimmer Sun Yang, for example, who had been expected to take gold in the men’s 400-meter freestyle final, managed only silver in the event on August 6. Sun cried while being interviewed by the media. The response back home centered on his arduous training, and messages of consolation and encouragement outweighed expressions of disappointment. Subsequently, Sun, in his second shot at gold in the 200-meter freestyle final on August 8, did not let his compatriots down.

Notably, during the Rio Games, besides praising medal winners, both China’s mainstream media and social media have also paid attention to athletes who did not come out on top, highlighting their struggles to succeed, which have thus won respect and praise. Some social media comments speak about the deep impression made by refugee athletes.

The shift of focus in China from medals toward the Olympic spirit implies a change in perspective. Attention is no longer limited to members of China’s Olympic squad and those who achieve victory, but now also extends to the Olympic Movement and those who struggle for excellence.