China unveils 716-strong delegation for upcoming Paris Olympic Games

With the Paris Olympics just around the corner, the Chinese Olympic Committee has called on its 716-strong delegation to compete with pride and integrity at the sporting gala to promote the country's international image.

Counting on its prowess in six traditionally strong sports — table tennis, badminton, gymnastics, shooting, weightlifting and diving — the Chinese delegation, which announced a 405-athlete roster supported by 311 coaches and staff members on Saturday, is set for a fruitful campaign in Paris — not just for a medal-laden success, but to present friendship, sportsmanship and fair play to the world.

"We have to take the Olympic stage to demonstrate the superb competitive level and good spirit of Chinese athletes, as well as to present the thriving, prosperous and bright future of our country in the new era from the sports perspective," Gao Zhidan, president of the COC, said at the delegation launch on Saturday.

The massive global attention paid to the Paris Olympics, which will open on July 26 and run through Aug 11, has also made it an unparalleled platform for the country to "make more friends, expand international sports exchange and help build a community with a shared future", Gao added.

Featuring a blend of youth and experience, the Chinese delegation boasts confidence, vying with international powerhouses in 236 medal events for which it has qualified in 30 sports, out of a total number of 329 events in 32 sports on the Paris 2024 program.

It will mark the biggest representation of Team China in event number and variety at an overseas edition of the Games, even with 10 events that were on Tokyo 2020's program reduced in Paris to control the size and cost of the sporting extravaganza.

Led by 42 Olympic champions, Team China also expects to measure its future talent against the world's best, with 223 athletes making their Olympic debut in the French capital.

The delegation, with an average age of 25, is made up of 136 male and 269 female athletes, with 37-year-old Olympic champion racewalker Liu Hong being the oldest competitor, and 11-year-old skateboarder Zheng Haohao the youngest.

Leading China's charge among the "mighty six" sports are the country's all-conquering table tennis squad and its diving "dream team", which are both aiming to achieve a clean sweep of all gold medals up for grabs in their respective sports.

Liu Guoliang, president of the Chinese Table Tennis Association, said: "We cannot take for granted that these five gold medals (in table tennis events) belong to China. All five gold medals are in Paris, and they are reserved for the brave and the wise, for those who excel the most."

To improve competitiveness in some Western-dominated sports, such as swimming, track and field, fencing and cycling, the Chinese delegation has hired 42 foreign coaches, trainers and medical staff members from 17 countries and regions to help prepare for the Games.