On August 20, the summary conference of the Chinese Sports Delegation to the 33rd Summer Olympic Games was held in Beijing. The meeting emphasized that the national sports community must thoroughly study and implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important remarks during his meeting with the Chinese Sports Delegation, keep his instructions firmly in mind, live up to the mission entrusted to them, remain grateful and strive forward, and work diligently to continuously advance the cause of sport. Gao Zhidan, Director of the General Administration of Sport of China and Secretary of its Party Leadership Group, attended the conference and delivered a speech.

Gao Zhidan stated that, under the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, the Chinese sports delegation has kept firmly in mind the heavy trust placed in it by the Party and the people, fought tenaciously and strived for continuous progress, and ultimately won 40 gold medals, 27 silver medals, and 24 bronze medals. With its tally of gold medals tied with the United States for first place, the delegation has achieved the best-ever performance by China in Olympic Games held outside its borders, reaping both outstanding athletic results and remarkable cultural and ethical achievements, thereby delivering a satisfactory report to the Party and the people.

General Secretary Xi Jinping and other Party and state leaders cordially received the Chinese sports delegation, and General Secretary Xi delivered an important speech, fully demonstrating the paramount importance that the leader of the people attaches to sports work and his warm concern for sports professionals. This is the highest honor and greatest source of encouragement for the sports community. General Secretary Xi’s important speech is visionary, profound in thought, and rich in content, providing clear guidance for further advancing the reform and development of sports and accelerating the building of a strong sports nation.

Gao Zhidan pointed out that the Paris Olympics marked China’s first Summer Olympic Games participation following the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, which set the goal of building a sports powerhouse by 2035, and the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, which made the decision to further comprehensively deepen reform and advance Chinese modernization. Under the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, and with the full support and cooperation of central and state-level departments as well as all sectors of society, the sports community has earnestly implemented the decisions and arrangements of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, meticulously prepared, risen to challenges, accurately identified changes, responded scientifically, and proactively sought transformation. Focusing on the goal of achieving victory, it has adopted a multi-dimensional operational mindset to coordinate and plan response strategies across political, sporting, diplomatic, and cultural domains, systematically advanced various initiatives, effectively managed risks in all areas, and ultimately secured a comprehensive success in China’s participation in the Paris Olympics.

The performance at the Games marked a historic breakthrough, further enhancing China’s overall competitive strength. Breakthroughs were achieved in multiple areas, including the number of events entered, the total number of gold medals won, the number of events that produced gold, the number of athletes who claimed gold, the number of events in which China swept all gold, the geographical spread of gold medal wins across provinces, the share of gold medals won in men’s events, and the performances of young athletes. Traditional strongholds—diving, table tennis, shooting, weightlifting, badminton, and gymnastics—continued to consolidate and strengthen their leading positions, while major breakthroughs were made in swimming, canoeing, BMX freestyle, tennis, artistic swimming, rhythmic gymnastics, men’s heavyweight weightlifting, and women’s boxing, among others. Emerging sports such as sport climbing, breaking, surfing, and skateboarding are demonstrating tremendous development potential, and combat sports like boxing, taekwondo, wrestling, and judo have seen a resurgence in competitiveness. In track and field, race walking clinched another gold after an eight-year hiatus, and team ball sports, despite being in a period of decline, still delivered some bright spots: the Chinese women’s field hockey team equaled its best-ever result, and the Chinese women’s volleyball team once again embodied the “women’s volleyball spirit.” Archery, Golf Judo, women’s rugby, and other sports have also performed well.

Chinese athletes have vigorously promoted the Chinese sports spirit and the Olympic spirit, presenting to the world the vibrant youthful energy of China in the new era. They have demonstrated a profound patriotic commitment to putting the motherland first and fighting for the nation, an unwavering determination to strive tenaciously and dare to take on challenges, the precious qualities of unity, collaboration, and fighting side by side, the fine tradition of continuous inheritance and relentless striving, and a confident, composed, sunny, and upward-looking spirit.

At these Olympic Games, the Chinese sports delegation has steadfastly implemented General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important instructions to “win gold medals in ethics, style, and integrity,” thereby achieving the goal of zero doping violations.

Gao Zhidan stated that, despite the challenging circumstances arising from a complex external environment and the arduous, multifaceted preparations for the Games, the Chinese sports delegation rose to the occasion, braved the pressure, and emerged victorious in the comprehensive campaign to prepare for and compete at the Paris Olympics, achieving the best-ever performance by China in overseas competitions. This remarkable accomplishment embodies the extraordinary achievements of China’s reform and opening-up and the past decade of development in the new era, fully demonstrating the superiority of the socialist system and vividly showcasing China’s ever-strengthening overall national strength and cultural soft power as it advances the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese modernization. It represents the concrete implementation of the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and the Second and Third Plenary Sessions of the 20th CPC Central Committee across the national sports sector, clearly reflecting the phased results of building a strong sports nation and underscoring the significant progress made in the high-quality development of Chinese sport. Moreover, it serves as a tribute from the national sports community to the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, further igniting patriotic enthusiasm among Chinese sons and daughters at home and abroad, invigorating the national spirit, and rallying tremendous momentum for deepening reform and comprehensively advancing Chinese modernization. The outstanding performance of the Chinese sports delegation at the Paris Olympics has written a new chapter of glory for China’s competitive sports, ushered in a new phase in the development of the sports sector, and opened a new chapter in accelerating the building of a strong sports nation—sure to leave an indelible mark on the history of sports development in the People’s Republic of China.

Gao Zhidan pointed out that throughout the entire preparation and participation process for these Olympic Games, the Chinese sports delegation has gained invaluable experience through its relentless efforts: upholding the Party’s leadership in all aspects; adhering to scientific and pragmatic preparation; maintaining unified and efficient command over competition participation; upholding the national system for competitive sports; and ensuring comprehensive oversight and support throughout the entire process.

Gao Zhidan emphasized that, while acknowledging our achievements, we must also clearly recognize that China’s competitive sports still have many shortcomings and weak links. Moreover, we must be fully aware that certain long-standing problems will not simply disappear just because of the outstanding results achieved at this Olympic Games. As the saying goes, “Once we step off the podium, everything starts from zero.” With an eye toward the Los Angeles Olympics, we must remain vigilant in times of peace, plan ahead, and gain a deep understanding of the grave challenges facing the development of China’s competitive sports, so as to courageously shoulder the even more arduous yet glorious mission of our times. We must further strengthen the Party’s leadership over sports work, further enhance the overall strength of competitive sports and their ability to bring honor to the nation, and, guided by the excellent performance at the Paris Olympics, promote the comprehensive and rapid development of the sports sector.

Gao Zhidan urged the national sports community to thoroughly study and grasp the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important address during his meeting with the Chinese sports delegation, as well as the congratulatory telegram sent by the Party Central Committee and the State Council to the delegation. He emphasized the need to deeply understand the ideological implications and political requirements embedded in General Secretary Xi’s warm reception and words of encouragement and inspiration, to build on this momentum, strive for all-round strength, and unite in concerted efforts to accelerate the building of a strong sports nation.

The meeting was chaired by Wang Ruilian, Deputy Director and Deputy Secretary of the Party Leadership Group of the General Administration of Sport. Attendees included Xi Hua, Head of the Inspection and Supervision Team stationed at the General Administration and a member of the Party Leadership Group; Liu Guoyong and Zhang Jiasheng, Deputy Directors and members of the Party Leadership Group; members of the Chinese Sports Delegation; members of the Presidium of the Chinese Olympic Committee and the IOC Members’ Commission; principal officials in charge of sports departments of all provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the central government, and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps; principal officials in charge of various departments within the General Administration; officials in charge of the Inspection and Supervision Team stationed at the General Administration; and principal officials in charge of relevant directly affiliated units of the General Administration and relevant national sports social organizations.