The Paris Games ended yesterday, with China coming second behind the United States (129 to 91, but 40 golds each) in the medal table. For the government, it was a question of image and the usual competition with the United States. But many Chinese snubbed the official celebrations, with online posts criticising the large delegation and public money spent.
Arshad Nadeem, gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and silver at the World Championships in Budapest last year, has a good chance of giving Pakistan its first Olympic medal in 32 years. His main rival is a "neighbour", India’s Neeraj Chopra, the Tokyo 2020 gold medallist. Unlike the governments of their respective countries, there is no rivalry between the two athletes, only a good sporting relationship.
For the Philippines, this is a historic result after the first ever gold by weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz in the 2020 Olympics. Philippine bishops praise the discipline, determination, and devotion shown by the 24-year-old athlete, who trained in Japan.
The Paris Olympics opened with some confusion over South Korea’s name, annoying the East Asian country’s officials. Mixed Doubles Table Tennis instead took a group photo on the podium with a Samsung.
India has a very good bid after the Games in Los Angeles and Brisbane, but things could change when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) elects a new president in 2025. Meanwhile, cricket is back as an Olympic sports in 2028. Indonesian President-elect Prabowo Subianto travels to Paris to push his country's bid.
After two days of competition, Asian fencers take home three out of four gold medals. This sport is increasingly popular in South Korea and Japan, while it is set to become Hong Kong’s national sport. Vivian Kong Mai-wai's victory in the women's epee follows that of Edgar Cheung Ka-long, who emerged as Hong Kong’s star with gold in the men's foil at Tokyo 2020.
The non-participation in the Tokyo 2020 Games led to the exclusion of the Beijing 2022 winter event as well. In PyeongChang, athletes from North and South Korea paraded and played together to the point that there was speculation that a peace treaty would be signed. Today, relations with Seoul are once again hostile.
For years, China has been focusing on “minor” sports to get as many gold medals as possible. In Tokyo it won 38 against 39 for the United States. Most successes came in only six sports and mainly by women. This strategy is still pursued today in a highly centralised system with doping casting its long shadow.
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