Team China Arrives in Paris for 2024 Olympics

The Chinese Olympic delegation, led by Gao Zhidan, director of China's General Administration of Sport, arrived in Paris on July 22, 2024, marking the official start of their journey towards greatness at the upcoming Olympic Games.

Team China will be represented by a record-breaking 405 athletes, including 136 men and 269 women, competing in 236 events across 30 sports. This is the highest number of events featuring Team China in an overseas Olympics.

Athletes and officials from sports like table tennis, badminton, swimming, and women's volleyball arrived earlier for adaptive training, as their events are scheduled to begin early in the Games. Others, including those from track and field, are still training in China and will join the delegation later.

The Chinese delegation was warmly welcomed by the local Chinese community, with hundreds of people spontaneously gathering at the airport to cheer for the athletes. The Chinese table tennis team, which arrived earlier, also received a warm reception during their training sessions in the suburbs of Paris.

With just a few days to go before the opening ceremony, the Paris 2024 Olympics has become a major topic of discussion among Chinese netizens. There is great enthusiasm for the Games, with discussions about the preparations and prospects of the athletes, the perseverance of veterans, and the impressive performances of young athletes dominating online conversations.

China has consistently finished in the top three positions in the Olympic medals tally since the Sydney 2000 Olympics, and this trend is expected to continue in Paris. Projections suggest that China will finish second on total medals and challenge the US for first place in gold medals.

The emergence of young athletes in new Olympic sports like breakdancing, sport climbing, skateboarding, and surfing is also generating excitement. 11-year-old skateboarder Zheng Haohao, China's youngest Olympian, embodies this new generation of athletes. "Participating in the Olympics means more people will get to know me," she said. "I started skateboarding just to make new friends and have fun."

Team China is ready to compete and inspire the world at the 2024 Paris Olympics. With a strong contingent of athletes, a supportive community, and a growing presence in emerging sports, Team China is poised to make its mark on the global stage once again.