A rosy start is often seen to herald good fortune for the journey ahead, a belief deeply rooted in Chinese culture. This sentiment is especially prevalent when it comes to the Olympic Games, where winning the first gold medal is seen as an auspicious beginning for the entire Chinese delegation.
Traditionally, this task has often fallen to China’s shooters due to the Olympic competition schedule.
This year, two teenage shooters, Huang Yuting and Sheng Lihao, lived up to expectations by claiming the first gold medal of the Paris Olympic Games with victory in the 10m air rifle mixed team event on Saturday.
“The achievements of our predecessors have been inspiring,” Sheng commented after he collected his second Paris Olympic gold, in men’s 10m air rifle.
This achievement marks the fifth Olympic Games since the 1984 Los Angeles Games that Chinese shooters have secured the first gold medal at the Olympics.
The road to such success is far from easy. Shooting, in particular, is a sport that demands extreme mental concentration and is highly sensitive to tension and anxiety. The pressure to perform on the world’s biggest stage is immense, making every victory a testament to the athlete’s mental fortitude and resilience.
At Los Angeles 1984, shooter Xu Haifeng narrowly defeated Sweden’s Ragnar Skanaker by a single point, 566 to 565, in the men’s 50m free pistol event, winning the Games’ first gold medal. His compatriot Wang Yifu grabbed the bronze medal.
“The award ceremony was delayed by 40 minutes because the organizers had not anticipated the need for two Chinese flags. They had to bring in one from another venue by helicopter,” Xu recalled.
What made Xu’s triumph even more significant was he secured China’s first ever Olympic gold medal. With this historic feat, Xu wrote himself into Olympic lore and school textbooks in China.
Xu’s victory set the tone for China at the 1984 Olympics, the PRC’s first appearance at the Summer Games since 1952. The country eventually finished a remarkable fourth in the medals table, with 15 golds.
For decades, the Olympic achievements of Xu and the Chinese women’s volleyball team, who defeated the United States in the gold medal match, have served as a source of national pride and patriotism.
Reflecting on his journey, Xu mentioned the harsh training conditions he endured. “I trained with the Anhui provincial team, which only had two imported pistols. Bullets were scarce, and each athlete had a fixed quota. The bullets oxidized over time and developed a white mold that had to be cleaned with an oiled cloth before competitions,” Xu recounted.
As China’s economy has grown, training conditions for its athletes have improved substantially, though the pressure to perform remains.
Zhao Yinghui, who was a favorite to win the first gold medal at the Sydney 2000 Olympics, failed to qualify for the women’s 10m air rifle final under immense pressure. “I felt lost at the Olympics, unable to free myself from pressure,” Zhao later admitted.
Despite Zhao’s unfulfilled mission, China concluded its impressive run with 59 medals, including 28 golds, finishing third overall just behind the United States and Russia.
In Athens 2004, Du Li came from nowhere to win the first gold medal unexpectedly in the women’s 10m air rifle event. “I never thought I would be lucky enough to win gold on my Olympic debut,” Du recalled.
However, Du failed to defend her title at the Beijing 2008 Olympics, feeling the weight of competing in front of a home crowd. Later she atoned for failing to triumph on day one by winning the 3-position rifle gold.
In 2012, Yi Siling earned the first gold medal of the London Olympics but had to settle for bronze in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
In Tokyo 2020, Yang Qian gave the Chinese delegation a strong start by winning the women’s 10m air rifle.
The achievements of Huang and Sheng in Paris symbolize not only personal victories, but also the enduring spirit of the Chinese shooting team that continues to pursue excellence on the world stage.
“I feel very happy and privileged to win this gold medal and bring honor to my country,” Huang said. ■
