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| Despite its relatively poor medal performance compared to previous Olympics, the Chinese are not annoyed like they would have been in the past. / AP-Yonhap |
By Choi Ha-young
China's medal record at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics is the worst since 1996 in Atlanta because of the country's less-patriotic attitude to international sport, Reuters reported Tuesday.
Eleven days into the Games, China had 17 gold, 15 silver and 19 bronze medals, ranking third behind the U.S. and Britain. At this stage in the 2012 London Games, China had 25 gold medals.
China has dominated Olympic medal tables ― behind the U.S. ― with 38 gold medals in London (2012), 51 in Beijing (2008) and 32 in Athens (2004).
But at the Rio Games, China has failed to snare medals in its traditionally strong events, such as springboard diving and badminton. Reuters named several factors as responsible, including unfamiliarity with the South American region and rule changes.
But despite its relatively poor medal performance, the Chinese are not annoyed like they would have been in the past. Instead, they are respecting competitors' efforts and encouraging them to enjoy the festival.
Chinese female swimmer Fu Yuanhui swept social media because of her honest reaction after winning a bronze medal. "Whoooaah! I was so fast!" she said, Monday, expressing her great joy. Next day, she broke a taboo by saying: "It's because my period came yesterday."
"The Chinese people have made progress, we don't need gold to boost our confidence and are no longer harsh on our athletes," a Weibo social media user said, Reuters reported.
China sent 416 athletes to Rio ― including less competitive ones ― its largest number. It implies the country emphasizes the experience of the international event rather than the number of medals.
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