China is basking in the glory of its best-ever performance at an overseas Olympics, having tied with the United States in the gold medal count at the Paris 2024 Games, CNN reports.
Both nations finished with 40 golds, marking the first time in history that two countries have tied for the top spot in the Summer Games. While the US claimed the overall medal count with 126 medals to China’s 91, the close competition highlights the intensifying geopolitical rivalry between the two sporting superpowers.
China’s dominance in shooting and diving propelled them towards an early lead, but the US caught up and eventually surpassed its rival in track and field events. This marks only the third time a nation other than the US or the former Soviet Union has topped the gold medal count at a Summer Olympics outside of its own territory.
Chinese state media celebrated the “record-breaking” haul from Paris, framing it as a testament to the success of Chinese modernization and its benefits to public health and sports development. Chinese social media erupted with national pride, with many users criticizing persistent doping allegations against the Chinese swim team, which they perceive as an unfair attempt by US officials to smear China.
The Chinese swim team has faced intense scrutiny after revelations that nearly half of the swimmers sent to the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 tested positive for a banned substance. While Chinese officials attributed the positive tests to contamination, the accusations have sparked backlash and fueled a sense of unfair treatment within China.
The Chinese government and state media have accused the US of “double standards” and “using the doping issue to smear and suppress China,” further intensifying the existing geopolitical tensions between the two nations.
China’s state media has escalated its criticism of American track and field athletes, calling for more stringent testing following the recent doping controversy surrounding sprinter Erriyon Knighton.
After Knighton, who finished fourth in the men’s 200-meters at the World Athletics Championships in Paris, tested positive for a banned substance in March, he was provisionally suspended. However, an independent arbitrator cleared him to compete in Paris, citing contaminated meat as the likely cause of his failed test.
This explanation, however, has not satisfied China. In a social media post, state broadcaster CCTV published an article with the headline, “The Olympics Games have ended, but the shocking questions about the ‘United States of Addicts’ cannot be left unanswered.”
The article demanded an explanation from the US, stating:
“To restore the world’s confidence in American sports, the US owes an explanation to the world.”
This demand comes ahead of the 2028 Summer Olympics, which are scheduled to be held in Los Angeles.
