appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

liveArticle

appConfig

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

sponsorType

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

sectionsV2

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

json

Nazvi Careem

China claim to be satisfied with the performance of their youthful squad at the Olympic Games, blaming their relatively low medal yield on a “fierce and stronger” challenge from other nations in Rio de Janeiro
Head of delegation Liu Peng said the 410-strong squad of athletes mostly met their objectives, winning 26 gold medals, with a largely inexperienced and young group.
WATCH: golden moments on Day 15 at the Rio Olympics


“We took part in 26 sports and 210 disciplines and the Chinese delegation did achieve their objectives and our performances demonstrated the principles of higher, faster and stronger,” Liu said.
‘The average age of our athletes is only 24-years-old and, although it is our biggest squad outside of Beijing, it is also our youngest with 70 percent of them first-time Olympians.
“We set a number of world records and Olympic records and the Chinese people can be very proud of the athletes performances.”

China won 38 gold medals at the 2012 London Olympics to finish second behind the Americans, who had 46 with Great Britain third on 29.
They are unlikely to win any gold medals on the final day in Rio, and will therefore finish behind Britain, who have 27, with the US streets ahead on 43.
In Beijing in 2008, China topped the gold rush with 51, followed by USA (36) and Russia (22), while Britain had 19.
China end 12 years of national pain to claim Olympic volleyball gold with win over Serbia
Liu admitted there were areas in which the China team fell below expectations.
“In several sports we failed to match what we have attained at World Cups or World Championships,” he said. “We were unable to sustain strong challenges in some of the events.
“Also, recently more countries have been giving more attention to the Olympic Games and therefore the level of competition is fierce and stronger than before.

“We need to improve mentally, and there were some instances where coaching and training were not good enough and need to be improved.”
WATCH: Hong Kong golf star Tiffany Chan shines at the Rio Olympics

Liu would not elaborate on which sports fell short of expectations.
However, sports in which China have traditionally been dominant, such as gymnastics and badminton, failed to live up to expectations in Rio.

He said China must continue to strive for excellence by learning from other countries to help improve their performances.
Su Bingtan, who has run under 10 seconds in the 100 metres and helped China to a surprise fourth place in the men’s 4x100m relay, said Chinese sprinters had improved over the past few years because of overseas training.
Does China’s worst Olympic Games medal haul since 2000 point to a change in the country’s attitude towards sport?
“When we go to Europe and train there regularly we see how the athletes train and we incorporate some of their methodologies into our programme,” he said.
Diving star Wu Minxia, who has won five gold medals in four Olympics, joined Liu for the post-mortem press conference, but refused to talk about retirement, preferring to concentrate on how diving has helped her to grow as a person.

“I started out as a child and then was still diving as an adolescent and then into adulthood and it really taught me a lot of things about life,” she said.
“For that I’m grateful to diving and my coaches and, as a Chinese, I’m really proud to have contributed to the country.”
I need a boyfriend but can’t find the right match, says China’s Olympic sweetheart Fu Yuanhui
Liu also hailed the likes of colourful swimmer Fu Yuanhui, who took the internet by storm with her hilarious post-race interviews – including discussing taboo subjects such as her menstrual cycle.
“With a person like Fu Yuanhui, I think the world is seeing modern Chinese athletes, who are open and humorous and competitive,” he said.


Tsunami-hit Tonga’s oiled-up Olympic flag bearer Pita Taufatofua raises over US$340,000 in disaster aid

Former Chinese volleyball star Wei Qiuyue donates Olympic gold medal to country’s sports museum

Liu Xiaotong retires: Chinese Olympic volleyball champion to become a coach, saying ‘the thing I missed most was my passion’

Rio 2016 race walk champion Liu Hong retires after fourth place in National Games

Rio 2016 Olympic Games

Fiercer and stronger: China blames diminishing Olympic Games gold medal haul on better competition

China's Mao Yi falls from the mat as she performs her floor routine during the artistic gymnastics women's team final. Photo: AP

epa05494417 Long Ma of China in action against Jun Mizutani of Japan during the men's Team Gold medal Team match of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games Table Tennis events at the Riocentro in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 17 August 2016. EPA/HOW HWEE YOUNG

Long Qingquan, of China, competes in the men's 56kg weightlifting competition at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, Aug. 7, 2016. Long won the gold medal. (AP Photo/Mike Groll)

China's Lin Dan leaves the court after losing to Denmark's Viktor Axelsen in the men's badminton singles bronze medal match at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Saturday, Aug. 20, 2016. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

China's Wu Minxia (behind) and Shi Tingmao hug after winning the 3m springboard title. Photo: Xinhua

From bad to worse: China’s reigning Olympic badminton champion Li Xuerui beaten by world number one

China’s Li Xuerui reacts after losing to Spain’s Carolina Marin in the badminton semi-final at the Riocentro stadium. Photo: AFP

China's Li Xuerui is checked by a medical staff as she plays against Spain's Carolina Marin plays during a women's singles semifinal match at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Thursday, Aug. 18, 2016. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

2016 Rio Olympics - Badminton - Women's Singles - Semifinals - Riocentro - Pavilion 4 - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - 18/08/2016. Carolina Marin (ESP) of Spain celebrates a point during her match against Li Xuerui (CHN) of China. REUTERS/Marcelo del Pozo FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS.

Not so Super: Lin Dan bats off retirement talk after Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen wins Olympic Games badminton bronze

China's Lin Dan reacts after losing a point against Denmark's Viktor Axelsen. Photo: AP

epa05501795 Viktor Axelsen of Denmark celebrates after defeating Dan Lin of China during the Rio 2016 Olympic Games Men's Bronze Medal Match at the Riocentro in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 20 August 2016. EPA/ESTEBAN BIBA

China's Lin Dan, left, congratulates Denmark's Viktor Axelsen after Axelsen won the men's badminton singles bronze medal match at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Saturday, Aug. 20, 2016. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

2016 Rio Olympics - Badminton - Men's Singles - Bronze Medal Match - Riocentro - Pavilion 4 - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - 20/08/2016. Lin Dan (CHN) of China plays against Viktor Axelsen (DEN) of Denmark. REUTERS/Marcelo del Pozo FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS.

Is it Chen Long’s turn to rule? Gold medallist draws inspiration from Lin Dan-Lee Chong Wei rivalry

China’s Chen Long celebrates after defeating Malaysia’s Lee Chong Wei in the men’s singles badminton gold medal match at the Rio Olympics on Saturday. Photo: Reuters

Chen Long throws his shirt into the crowd. Photo: AP

It’s the end of an era as Malaysia’s Lee Chong Wei announces this will be his last Olympics. Photo: AP

Olympic rings: China’s He receives a marriage proposal from her diver boyfriend to go with her silver medal

Silver medallist He Zi of China reacts after she receives a marriage proposal from Chinese diver Qin Kai during the podium ceremony for the women’s diving 3m springboard in Rio. Photo: AFP

Silver medallist He Zi of China receives a marriage proposal from Chinese diver Qin Kai during the podium ceremony for the women’s diving 3m springboard in Rio. Photo: Agencies

TOPSHOT - Gold medallist China's Shi Tingmao (R) and bronze medallist Italy's Tania Cagnotto react as Silver medallist China's He Zi (unseen) receives a marriage proposal from Chinese diver Qin Kai during the podium ceremony of the Women's diving 3m Springboard Final at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Maria Lenk Aquatics Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on August 14, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / CHRISTOPHE SIMON

Sport

China

Other Sport

Delegation chief Liu Peng is satisfied with the team’s performance in Rio de Janeiro but admits some sports fell below expectations


Fiercer and stronger: China blames diminishing Olympic Games gold medal haul on better competition

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Delegation chief Liu Peng is satisfied with the team’s performance in Rio de Janeiro but admits some sports fell below expectations

WATCH: golden moments on Day 15 at the Rio Olympics

Delegation chief Liu Peng is satisfied with the team’s performance in Rio de Janeiro but admits some sports fell below expectations