“Not easy at all!” Teenage fencer Jiao Enqi made her Olympic debut in Paris as one of the standout performers in the women’s foil team. Had Jiao Enqi not pursued fencing, she would have been enjoying her summer vacation following the Gaokao, China’s national college entrance exam. Instead, the 18-year-old participated as a reserve for China in the women’s foil team event at the Paris Olympics, where her team finished seventh on Thursday.  Jiao came up in the classification match…

China’s swimmer Pan Zhanle made history at the Paris Olympics by winning the gold medal in the men’s 100m freestyle and setting a new world record, marking China’s first Olympic gold in this event. Breaking through the waves reveals true gold. At the moment Chinese swimmer Pan Zhanle touched the wall and broke the record, all doubts, grievances, and frustrations vanished.  “Awesome! It feels incredible!” exclaimed Pan after roaring to China’s first swimming gold in Paris with a world record…

Breaking, also known as breakdancing, has made an extraordinary journey from street corners to the prestigious stage of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. For the first time, breaking will be included as an Olympic sport, a milestone moment for dance culture worldwide. Behind China’s impressive rise in the breaking arena stands the legendary French breakdancer, Mounir Biba. A 13-time breaking world champion, Biba now serves as the head coach of China’s breaking team. His journey to legend status began with…

Cycling has many benefits, but for Amir Ansari, the first rider off the ramp in the men’s time trial race at the Paris Olympic Games, it is more than just a sport. The 24-year-old Afghan competes in the colors of the IOC Refugee Olympic Team, highlighting how cycling gave him hope during his darkest moments while striving to build a new life. “My ambition is to represent 120 million refugees around the world and think about those who have lost…

A flash of red, white and blue of the French tricolor flag and the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris was underway, heralded by traditional accordion music. Out of the smoke from under Austerlitz Bridge sailed the boat carrying Greece’s delegation for the Games, as tradition dictates, with the Refugee team close behind receiving the biggest cheers of the night, giving reason to the words of IOC President Thomas Bach, when he said “sport is respect. Sport…

lmost every Olympiad sees new sports introduced and some other events dropped amid discussion, anger and controversy. Recent Games have seen BMX biking and skateboarding introduced, with questions asked over whether they really qualify as sports. The introduction of breakdancing also caused raised eyebrows: does an event that has its roots in music and street culture have a place in the Olympics and even if there is no doubt the fitness and agility of the competitors, many ask: Is it…

After a century-long wait, Paris welcomes back the Olympic Games with a splashy and “Seine-sational” opening ceremony, making itself a truly moveable feast. French President Emmanuel Macron declared the Games open before the waterborne ceremony reached its climax when Teddy Riner and Marie-Jose Perec lit the cauldron with the Olympic flame. The iconic River Seine glistened with cheers and shouts around 7:30pm when the audacious Paris Olympics opening ceremony, featuring global sports stars parading on a flotilla, was finally brought…