Taikonauts hold their own "Olympics" aboard China's space station

This screenshot captured on Aug. 8, 2024 provided by China Central Television (CCTV) shows the Shenzhou-18 taikonaut Ye Guangfu, clad in an extravehicular suit, passing an improvised torch inside China's space station. (Xinhua)

BEIJING, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- To mark China's 16th National Fitness Day on Thursday, the three taikonauts aboard China's orbiting space station organized their own sports event to share their joy of exercise and show support for athletes at the ongoing Paris Olympics.

The Shenzhou-18 crew has progressed more than halfway through a six-month space mission that began with their launch in late April. And the time the three taikonauts have spent orbiting Earth has involved a lot more than experiments and spacewalks -- they are also maintaining a work-life balance. The China Manned Space Agency has released video updates over the course of their mission, showing how they have been devoting time to their fitness.

This screenshot captured on Aug. 8, 2024 provided by China Central Television (CCTV) shows Shenzhou-18 taikonaut Li Cong floating over a hurdle during a mock torch relay inside China's space station. (Xinhua)

This screenshot captured on Aug. 8. 2024 provided by China Central Television (CCTV) shows the Shenzhou-18 taikonaut Ye Guangfu (C) lifting his two crewmates on a barbell in zero-gravity environment inside China's space station. (Xinhua)

This screenshot captured on Aug. 8, 2024 provided by China Central Television (CCTV) shows the Shenzhou-18 taikonaut Li Guangsu playing table tennis inside China's space station. (Xinhua)