Xi hails Olympians for Paris glory

President Xi Jinping shakes hands with Xie Yu, who won a gold medal in the men's 10-meter air pistol event at the Paris Olympics, as Xi and other leaders meet on Tuesday with members of China's Olympic delegation to the Games at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. (XIE HUANCHI/XINHUA)

President Xi Jinping hailed Chinese Olympians on Tuesday for their performance and sportsmanship at the 33rd Summer Olympic Games in Paris, saying that they have shown the world the country's openness, inclusiveness, and progress as well as the ambition, courage and confidence of the Chinese people.

"The motherland and the people are proud of you and applaud you," said Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, during a meeting with China's Olympic delegation to the Paris Olympics at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

China claimed 91 medals at the Paris Olympics, including 40 gold medals. It tied with the United States for the most gold medals at the Games, marking the country's best-ever performance at an overseas Olympics.

At 3:20 pm on Tuesday, Xi and other Chinese leaders arrived among the delegation members. He shook hands with some of them, chatted with them and had a group photo taken with the delegation.

The president emphasized the unity, tenacity, and outstanding performance of the delegation at the Paris Olympics, congratulating them warmly and extending his best regards to those working in the sports sector throughout the country.

Xi noted that the exceptional performance of the Chinese sports delegation would promote Chinese sportsmanship and the Olympic spirit.

He praised the delegation for upholding sportsmanship and ethics, earning widespread respect and recognition, and showcasing a positive image of China in the new era. He said the Chinese athletes have won gold medals in competition, ethics, and demeanor.

Xi emphasized that the outstanding achievements of the Chinese sports delegation not only demonstrate the progress in China's sports development, but also reflect the accomplishments in Chinese modernization, fully demonstrating the strength of China in the new era.

He said that a strong nation leads to a strong sports sector, attributing China's success to the continuous enhancement of comprehensive national strength and the advanced technological support provided for sports training.

The fact that China has been able to establish itself as a major sports country in the world and a strong Olympic nation fundamentally lies in the continuous enhancement of comprehensive national strength, Xi said.

The modernization drive in the new era to advance the building of a strong country and national rejuvenation will undoubtedly provide better conditions for and give strong momentum to the development of China's sports industry, he added.

Xi urged the delegation members to maintain their ethical standards and sportsmanship in the upcoming Olympic cycle, emphasizing the importance of continuous improvement, talent development, and high-quality preparations for future competitions.

He encouraged them to enhance their overall competitive strength and promote national fitness and youth sports, thus contributing further to the construction of a strong sports nation.

China has become one of the world's most competitive sporting nations in recent decades. It made a number of breakthroughs in various events at the Paris Olympics, including tennis, boxing, and swimming.

Chinese tennis player Zheng Qinwen made history after defeating Croatia's Donna Vekic to become the first athlete from the country to win a singles gold medal in tennis.

In rhythmic gymnastics, China became the first non-European country to finish on top of the group event at the Games by taking first place just ahead of Israel and Italy.