As the Paris 2024 Olympics bid a warm au revoir to the world, the closing ceremony at the Stade de France was a dazzling celebration befitting the world’s biggest sporting event. From epic dance performances and Tom Cruise pulling off death-defying stunts à la Mission Impossible, to the dramatic passing of the Olympic flag to Karen Bass, the Mayor of Los Angeles, it was an evening with an electric atmosphere, culminating in fireworks illuminating the French capital’s night sky.
Amid the fanfare, several athletes from the Chinese diaspora stole our hearts and inspired us.
This year’s Games featured many athletes with Chinese roots competing for other nations, both as the organic result of global migration and more tactical moves — for example, China’s long-standing table tennis dominance has prompted other nations to recruit players of Chinese descent in an effort to bolster their performances in the sport.
Lily Zhang
A four-time Olympian in table tennis, the Chinese American has had a distinguished career in the sport. However, even her parents see her talent as more of an impressive résumé line than a viable career path, as her chosen sport doesn’t receive the same level of attention or resources at home as American football or basketball.
In fact, earlier this August, table tennis suddenly became a viral talking point when Minnesota Timberwolves and Team U.S.A. basketball player Anthony Edwards insisted that he could score at least one point against the American table tennis team. His support for Zhang, during her third round match against Brazil’s Bruna Takahashi, sparked hopes that this newfound interest could bring longer-term support and raise the sport’s profile in America — perhaps eventually bringing with it some Olympic medals?
Ni Xialian
At 61 years old, Ni Xialian inspired audiences as the oldest table tennis competitor in Paris. Affectionately dubbed “Auntie Ni” by adoring supporters, the Shanghai native, who now represents Luxembourg, won over fans with her wholesome and joyful spirit on the court.
Despite losing to the Chinese top seed player Sun Yingsha, 38 years her junior, Ni’s enthusiasm and sportsmanship shone through, with footage of her enjoying a Coca-Cola during matches and celebrating points with a bright smile delighting fans on social media.
Zheng Ziying
Another veteran table tennis player — 58-year-old Zheng Ziying — also captivated audiences. The Guangzhou native played with “Auntie Ni” on Team China back in the 1980s, but retired from professional table tennis aged 20 and immigrated to Chile, before picking up the sport again in the early 2000s, and then a third time during the pandemic.
Inspired by her former teammate, Zheng’s return to the international stage at an advanced age and ability to rekindle her passion for table tennis have been captivating for fans around the world.
Adam Dong
Adam Dong’s badminton journey began in his hometown of Suzhou, China, where as a young child he became a fan of the sport after watching fellow Suzhou-native Zhang Jun win Olympic Gold in 2000. Dong went on to play for one of China’s top professional teams, but his story took a different, inspiring turn when he moved to Canada to attend college in 2014.
Finding a sense of belonging in Canada through badminton, Dong went on to represent the nation at the Paris Olympics, where he and his partner Nyl Yakura were beaten by the eventual bronze medal pair — Malaysia’s Aaron Chia Teng-fong and Soh Wooi Yik. But Dong’s ability to harness his passion for the sport and connect with his new home country made his Olympic journey all the more meaningful.
Karen Chen
For some athletes, the significance lies not in competing at the Paris Games, but simply being recognized for their past achievements.
Taiwanese American figure skater Karen Chen had to wait over two years to receive her Olympic gold medal from the 2022 Beijing Winter Games, as she and her teammates were initially awarded silver before being retroactively given gold after a doping investigation involving the Russian squad. Though they missed the original medal ceremony in Beijing, the 2024 Paris Olympics provided Chen and her fellow skaters the opportunity to be ceremonially honored near the iconic Eiffel Tower.
Essentially, these stories of identity and perseverance speak to the increasingly international makeup of the Olympic competition. For the Chinese diaspora in particular, the 2024 Paris Olympics represented a chance to make their mark on the world stage — and these empowering athletes delivered, having etched their stories deep into Olympic lore, creating an inspiring legacy for the next generation of global competitors in Los Angeles 2028 and beyond.
Banner image via Getty Images.
