Sports have significantly shaped China’s history, identity, and national pride. They have excelled in sports like table tennis, diving, and badminton. Since hosting the 2008 Summer Olympics, the country has announced a series of national plans aspiring to become a strong sports nation by 2025. The Chinese government takes care of its professional players as a means of dominating sports.
Let us learn more about the popular sports in China.
List of 11 Popular Sports in China
China has proven its excellence in a lot of sports. These are sports that people play for their amusement and also at a professional level. Here’s a list of 11 popular sports played in China.
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Serial Number
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Name of the Sport
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1
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Table Tennis
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2
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Basketball
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3
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Badminton
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4
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Football
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5
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Running
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6
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Square Dancing
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7
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Volleyball
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8
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Martial Arts
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9
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Swimming
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10
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Tennis
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11
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Formula One Racing
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Facts about the Sports played in China
These sports played by people in China have a certain history associated with them. They have a cultural importance in the modern world as well. Let us learn about them.
Most Popular Sports in China: Table Tennis
It is the most recreational sport in China. In the early 1950s, Chinese leader Mao Zedng declared table tennis as a national sport. Chinese athletes became the strongest in the world within a short period. Deng Yaping won 6 world championships and 4 Olympic championships between 1989 and 1997. Ping-pong tables can be found in every school. Kids hone their skills from a young age. The game also doesn’t require a lot of space, which is ideal in a crowded country like China.
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Player
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Awards
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Olympic Wins
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Ma Long
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ITTF Male Player of the year
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Gold (2016)
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Fan Zhendong
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World Cup Champion
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Silver (2020), Bronze (2016)
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Xu Xin
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World Champion Gold
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Gold (2016, 2019)
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Liu Shiwen
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ITTF Female Player of the Year
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Gold (2016), Silver (2012)
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Ding Ning
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Olympic Gold Medalist
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Gold (2016), Silver (2012)
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Most Popular Sports in China: Basketball
The sport became famous in China in the 2000s, when Yao Ming started playing for the Houston Rockets in the National Basketball Association (NBA). A few Chinese have played in the NBA since then, but none have made an impact like Yao Ming. On the International stage, the Chinese men’s and women’s basketball teams are not very successful. The men’s team didn’t even qualify for the Tokyo 2020/21 Olympics. Many international players come over to China and play in the Chinese Basketball Association.
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Player
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Awards
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Olympic Wins
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Yao Ming
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Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (2016)
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Silver – 2008 Beijing Olympics
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Yi Jianlian
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CBA Most Valuable Player (2007, 2011)
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–
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Most Popular Sports in China: Badminton
It’s a highly accessible sport, only a racket and a shuttlecock are needed. The locals on an amateur level play badminton without a net for physical fitness and fun. The elite players are taken care of by the Chinese government. Providing them with housing, meals, and training helps the country dominate the sport. The greatest badminton player of all time, Lin Dan completed the Grand Slam by the age of 28. He won all nine major badminton tournaments available, including the Olympic Games, World Championships, and World Cup. He remains the only player to achieve this feat.
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Player
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Awards
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Olympic Wins
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Lin Dan
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Olympic Gold (2008, 2012), BWF World Championship (2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014)
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Men’s Singles Gold (1992, 1996, 2000, 2012, 2016)
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Chen Long
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Olympic Gold (2016), BWF World Championships (2014, 2015)
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Men’s Singles Gold (2016)
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Wang Yihan
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Olympic Silver (2012), BWF World Championships (2011)
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Women’s Single Silver (2012)
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Zhang Nan
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Olympic Gold (2012, 2016), BWF World Championship (2010, 2011, 2013, 2014)
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Men’s Doubles Code (2012, 2016)
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The Chinese Super League boasts 16 teams which are privately owned. Matches are widely covered by Chinese TV stations. The current Chinese leader Xi Jinping has pledged to turn China into a football superpower. Soccer pitches will be built all over the country to attract millions of players. China has played only once in the World Cup, and that was in 2002 when it lost all three games and failed to score a single goal. And in the national league, most of the top scorers are imported players.
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Players
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Awards
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Olympic Wins
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Sun Jihai
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Chinese Footballer of the Year (2002)
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–
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Zheng Zhi
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AFC Asian Cup Most Valuable Player (2004, 2019)
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–
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Li Tie
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AFC Asian Cup Most Valuable Player (2004)
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–
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Hao Haidong
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Chinese Footballer of the Year (1993)
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–
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Most Popular Sports in China: Running
Running is becoming popular in the big cities. Chinese people began running because of its accessibility. About more than 20 million Chinese are now taking to urban streets and village trails. Unfortunately, 21 ultra-marathon runners died in Gansu province in May 2021 due to poor planning by race officials.
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Player
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Awards
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Olympic Wins
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Liu Xiang
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Gold Medal, 2004 Athens Olympics (110m hurdles)
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Gold Medal, 2004 Athens Olympics (110m hurdles)
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Su Bingtian
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Silver Medal, 2021 Tokyo Olympics (4*100m relay)
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–
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Wang Junxia
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Gold Medal, 1996 Atlanta Olympics
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–
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Zhang Peimeng
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Silver Medal, 2015 Asian Championships
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–
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Most Popular Sports in China: Square Dancing
Millions of middle-aged and older women dance to choreographed routines in public parks every night. It’s called square dancing because it happens in a city square or plaza. This is not competitive but it is a great exercise. This became a low-cost form of exercise and entertainment for many women who lost their jobs at state-owned enterprises in the 1990s.
Most Popular Sports in China: Volleyball
The Chinese women’s volleyball team has had a long history of success. They dominated the world stage in the 1980s and won the gold medal at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. In 2020, the patriotic film Leap was released. It features famous Chinese actress Gong Li. She plays legendary Chinese volleyball player and coach, Lang Ping.
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Player
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Awards
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Olympic Wins
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Lang Ping
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FIVB Coach of the Year (2013)
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Gold (1984), Silver (1996)
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Zhu Ting
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FIVB World Grand Prix MVP (2017)
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Gold (2016)
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Wei Qiuyue
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FIVB World Grand Prix Best Setter (2010)
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Gold (2016)
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Zhang Changning
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FIVB World Grand Prix Best Outside Hitler (2017)
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Gold (2016)
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Most Popular Sports in China: Martial arts
Traditional Chinese martial arts have been in the Chinese culture for thousands of years. Kung Fu is the most well-known and dates back to the Zhou Dynasty (1,111-255 BC). Combined with spirituality, kung fu is a form of exercise and an unarmed mode of personal combat. There are various movements in kung fu, most of which are limitations of the fighting styles of animals like the snake as well as the mystical dragon. Movie icons like Jet Li, Bruce Lee, and Jackie Chan, have kept kung fu and other martial arts in the mainstream.
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Player
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Martial Art
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Awards
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Olympic Wins
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Jet Li
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Wushu
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Foshan Wushu Champion, 1974
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–
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Zhang Weili
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Sanda
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UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion, 2019
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–
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Li Xiaopeng
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Gymnastics
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Olympic Gold (2000, 2004), Silver (2000, 2004), Bronze (2000)
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–
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Wu Jingyu
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Taekwondo
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Olympic Gold (2008, 2012)
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–
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Most Popular Sports in China: Swimming
China wasn’t winning any medals in the Olympic pool a few decades ago. In 2012, Sun Yang became the first Chinese man to win an Olympic gold medal in swimming. However, Yang was recently banned from international competitions for 4 years for cheating. At the local level, China’s middle class can now afford to give their child swimming lessons at the pool.
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Player
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Awards
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Olympic Wins
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Sun Yang
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Olympic gold medals (3), World Championships gold medals (11)
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2008, 2012, 2016 Olympics
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Ye Shiwen
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Olympic gold medals (2), World Championships gold medals (4)
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2012 Olympics
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Liu Zige
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Olympic gold medal, World Championships gold medals (2)
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2008 Olympics
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Most Popular Sports in China: Tennis
International tournaments are held in big cities such as Beijing and Chengdu. Chinese tennis was at its peak in the 2010s when Li Na won the French Open and Australian Open grand slams. While Li Na peaked at world number 2 more than a decade ago, Zhang Zhizhen cracked the top 100 in the men’s competition for the first time in China’s history, at the end of 2022.
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Player
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Awards
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Olympic Wins
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Li Na
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French Open champion (2011)
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2 Olympic medals
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Peng Shuai
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Wimbledon doubles champion (2013)
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1 Olympic medals
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Zhang Shuai
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Australian Open Doubles Champion (2019)
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–
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Zhou Guanyu recently became the country’s first-ever full-time driver to compete in the motorsport series, signing with Alfa Romeo in 2022. Now F1 is likely to become a lot more popular since the Chinese have a local hero they can support.
National Sport of China – Table Tennis
Table Tennis originated in England as a parlor game for the upper class and was also known as “Ping Pong”. China hosts major tournaments, such as the China Open and the the World Table Tennis Championships which draw worldwide attention. It’s a popular activity in communities, schools, and parks. Chinese athletes who excel in table tennis often become national heroes and inspire youngsters to excel in the sport.
Technological advancements have impacted table tennis to a good extent. Innovative rackets and rubber materials, ball tracking systems, and video replay technology help officials in making correct decisions. Player-friendly clothing and shoes for professional-level games have been introduced as well. China quickly became the most dominant nation in the Olympics, winning 53 medals (28 gold), as of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
China’s contribution in the Olympics
China is among one of the top nations in the overall medal count in both the summer and winter olympics. China has a good gold medal count in specific. Let us look into some of the achievements by China in the Olympics.
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Olympics
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Host
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Medal Count
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Gold Medal Count
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2008
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Beijing
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100
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51
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2012
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London
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88
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38
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2016
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Rio
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70
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26
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2022 (Winter)
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Beijing
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41
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15
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Conclusion
China is great in the field of sports. They have a diverse sports fanbase, ranging from badminton to F1 racing. China has also produced many exceptional athletes, especially in badminton. Players like Lin Dan have great accomplishments in their specific fields of expertise. Although some sports are not that internationally recognized in China, they still are inclined towards having a good time while playing at the local level. Sports like Square dancing are not even a competitive sport. China also has many Olympic achievements.
Read more:
FAQs: List of Most Popular Sports in China
What is the most popular sport in China?
Table tennis is the most popular sport in terms of participation.
What are the 4 most popular sports in China?
Table tennis, Badminton, Basketball, and Football are the most popular sports in China.
Which sport originated in China?
Badminton originated in China during the Han Dynasty. Dragon boat racing also started in China.
Which sports have the most Olympic gold medals in China?
China has won most of its Olympic gold medals in diving and weightlifting.
Who is the famous Chinese F1 racer?
Zhou Guanyu is the country’s first ever full time driver to compete in the motorsport series.
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