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SCMP Reporters

This live blog has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Download our app to get faster notifications.
Mainland Chinese Olympians put on spectacular sporting displays on Saturday morning following a gala show on Friday evening, which saw them entertain the Hong Kong audience with their athletic abilities.
Athletes performed at two separate venues for a series of ticket-only demonstrations. Divers and swimmers took part in an event at the Victoria Park Swimming Pool, while badminton players, gymnasts and table tennis stars were at Queen Elizabeth Stadium.
Saturday’s events marked the end of a whirlwind three-day trip for the 65-strong delegation. The sports superstars are on their way to neighbouring Macau for another three-day visit.
Reporting by Paul McNamara, Fiona Sun, Harvey Kong, Leopold Chen, Kahon Chan, Lo Hoi-ying and Angeline Jiang.


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A couple of youngsters at Queen Elizabeth Stadium can’t hide their delight. Photo: Eugene Lee

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Athletes thrill the crowds at two venues in a series of ticket-only demonstrations before they move on to Macau in the afternoon


Athletes thrill the crowds at two venues in a series of ticket-only demonstrations before they move on to Macau in the afternoon.


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On Saturday morning, badminton, gymnastics and table tennis demonstrations will be held at Queen Elizabeth Stadium in Wan Chai, while diving and swimming stars will head to Victoria Park Swimming Pool in Causeway Bay.
The athletes spent Friday, their second day in Hong Kong, enjoying lighthearted interactions with students, members of the disciplined services and a gala show audience.
In smaller groups, they visited local landmarks The Peak and Victoria Harbour, while also doing a spot of shopping.





Athletes to show off their moves

The delegation will head to Macau next, where a host of activities are planned for them also.
Macau authorities have said the Olympians will interact with local athletes and young people, visit landmark attractions and engage with the local community during their three days in the gaming hub.
The athletes will also take part in a show on Sunday evening.


Next stop Macau

Around 100 people are waiting outside Queen Elizabeth Stadium in Wan Chai, where table tennis, gymnastics and badminton stars will put on a show, for the athletes’ arrival.
“I saw Sun Yingsha and Wang Chuqin yesterday at The Peak. But I want to see them more,” says secondary school student Ivy Chan, who was unable to get a ticket.
Chan has been here since 7am, and next to her is medical worker Cathy Au, a ticket holder.
“I can’t get enough of the stars! So, I’m also waiting here despite having a ticket,” Au says.



Eager fans waiting for two hours

Table tennis mixed doubles champions Sun Yingsha and Wang Chuqin are favourites among fans and sports enthusiasts eager to see the Olympians on Saturday.
Among the early birds at Queen Elizabeth Stadium is Chu Ka-wai, 26, who arrived before 8am with her elder sister.
“I’m so excited to see Sun Yingsha and Wang Chuqin this close. I have watched many of their matches and I have seen them working so hard and have had great teamwork,” she says, holding Chinese flags and posters featuring the table tennis superstars.
“I hope they will keep going and achieve greater results,” the part-time parallel trader adds.


Sisters excited about greeting table tennis players

It is already standing room only for the press inside Victoria Park Swimming Pool, as the scrap begins for the first sight of China’s diving and swimming superstars including Chen Yiwen.
The diving contingent are already drawing gasps with neat warm-up entries from the poolside. Public seats are steadily filling, so excitement levels are going only one way from here.


Storm before the even bigger storm

Retiree Lee Mei-yung and her husband walked from their home in Wan Chai to Queen Elizabeth Stadium to see the champions, especially for the demonstrations of table tennis.
“I like playing table tennis and my passion for the sport has grown after watching the athletes’ excellent performances at the Paris Games,” the 60-year-old says.
“I love the pair Sun Yingsha and Wang Chuqin in particular and I come to celebrate their achievements and wish them good luck. Add oil, athletes! We will see you at the next Games.”
Lee says her 12-year-old grandson also wanted to come along but tickets were so hard to come by.


Retirees manage to get in, but not grandson

Table tennis and badminton players and gymnasts reach Queen Elizabeth Stadium at 9.10am.
Hundreds of fans are now near the stadium entrance.
Screams break out when popular names such as stars Fan Zhendong and Wang Chuqin show up.

Chinese Olympic athletes arrive at Queen Elizabeth Stadium on Saturday
Video: Leopold Chen pic.twitter.com/f8d1zUI5tg
— SCMP Hong Kong (@SCMPHongKong) August 31, 2024



Screaming fans greet athletes

After briefly disappearing from view for a dip in the cool-down pool, the Olympians clamber up to the lowest board in the arena for some demonstrative warm ups.
A few bombs into the pool, while Cao Yuan manages to make leaping up and down on a springboard look remarkably impressive.
It is all much more relaxed than a few weeks ago inside the tension-filled Paris Aquatics Centre.






(Nearly) show time

Lee Ho-ching, the Hong Kong table tennis player who won a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics, and team coach Li Ching arrive at Queen Elizabeth Stadium.
Timothy Fok Tsun-ting, president of the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China, has also headed into the Wan Chai venue.





Local players, sport officials arrive at Wan Chai venue

Warm-up acts at Queen Elizabeth Stadium start with members of the Hong Kong Rope Skipping Association performing.
The stadium is almost full with an enthusiastic audience, minutes before the event is set to begin.



Skipping-rope team in action

The fans inside Victoria Park Swimming Centre all wave their Chinese five-star red flags as two MCs tentatively get proceedings under way.
The diving and swimming presentation is being preceded by six people performing … breaking.




Five-star show

A long queue remains outside the stadium. Pauline Wong says she and her daughter have queued for around half an hour. But the long queue doesn’t stop her passion.
“I’m so happy to see Fan Zhendong soon!” she says.


Long queue

The swimming demonstration programme starts with a brief interview with 16-year-old Hong Kong swimmer Cindy Cheung Sum-yuet, who represented the city in Paris. She tells the host her idol is Olympic medallist Siobhan Haughey.
The first demonstration will be synchronised swimming by local young athletes.


Pool programme begins

The eight synchronised swimmers receive a generous ovation following a flawless performance. A young 10-strong troupe are next into the pool, their exhibition being delivered to an instrumental version of Cotton-Eyed Joe.
Not something we thought we would be writing this morning.


Standard setters

Athletes led by shooting champion Sheng Lihao and followed by table tennis legend Ma Long enter the stadium, to loud applause from the audience.
Obviously the table tennis players are firm favourites and receive the loudest cheers from an enthusiastic audience.





Table tennis legend Ma enters stadium with other stars

For civil servant Ivan Chan, 48, and his 12-year-old daughter Jaymie Chan, the swimming and diving demonstration is the perfect bonding activity.
“As a father, I know that she would have less time with her father as she got older, so for us to be able to do something that we love and see our favourite athletes … it is something that I have been looking forward to for several weeks since I got the tickets,” he says.
Chan wants to see divers Chen Yuxi and Chang Yani, while Quan Hongchan is a favourite of his daughter.



Some bonding

The organisers at the pool inside Victoria Park are pretty apt at heightening excitement.
A dragon dance follows the second round of synchronised swimming, but no Chinese Olympians in action … yet.
The venue is nearly full, but crowd noise is dipping a tad. Perhaps everyone is saving themselves for the main event?


Building anticipation

The athletes’ introduction at the Victoria Park pool entails them walking single file behind a 25-piece brass band.
Fans are out of their seats as their white-and-red clad heroes walk past, almost within touching distance,
The flags of China and Hong Kong are emblazoned on a big screen, as “March of the Volunteers” fills the air.


Showtime

Demonstrations of gymnastics come first as the champions take the stage at Queen Elizabeth Stadium.
Men’s rings champion Liu Yang demonstrates his signature techniques and skills for a few minutes before loud applause erupts from the audience.

Gymnast Liu Yang demonstrating his skills
Video: Leopold Chen pic.twitter.com/svFSK5ARZQ
— SCMP Hong Kong (@SCMPHongKong) August 31, 2024

Men’s parallel bars champion Zou Jingyuan praises and encourage Hong Kong student athletes who showed the skills on the bars
“The demonstration was perfect,” he says about the performance of a young athlete.




Perfect demonstration by rings champ

Online viewers ask where the beloved table tennis player, Sun Yingsha, is, as she is not in the group photos.


Where is Sun Yingsha?

Gold medallists from the Chinese swimming team are being introduced one by one by the poolside, with fan favourite Quan Hongchan receiving the biggest applause.
They are presented with bouquets by young Hong Kong athletes before taking a group photo with officials.





Quan Hongchan gets warm welcome

While the athletes take themselves off to get ready for action, the big screens at either end of the pool beam out images reminding us why we are here. Which is to celebrate the aquatics success of China’s Olympians, of course.
We see footage of artistic swimming duo Wang Liuyi and Wang Qianyi winning gold, before the pair emerge to perform a flawless routine.
The divers waiting beside the adjacent pool turn to watch and applaud with the rest of the spectators.


Big screen hit

Diving athletes from the national team start their demonstration with some basic moves, such as front dive tuck, at the poolside before moving to the three-metre springboard.
The demonstration is narrated in Cantonese by a local coach and spectators are urged not to disturb athletes with flashlights and shouts.

Cao Yuan leaps into the water
Video: Paul McNamara pic.twitter.com/dkxH80Mdeh
— SCMP Hong Kong (@SCMPHongKong) August 31, 2024


\


Diving action starts with basic moves

Over at Queen Elizabeth Stadium, men’s parallel bar champion Zou Jingyuan says it felt like coming home when describing his experience of the Hong Kong trip.
“It’s like returning home, unlike during the pandemic when there was a distance,” he says.
Teammate Liu Yang, the men’s rings medallist, says: “The training has been a long process that needs patience and perseverance.”




‘Coming home’

When asked why she cut her hair short, boxer Wu Yu has a surprising reply. She says she can eat more if her hair is lighter, since boxers have strict weight limits for their divisions.
“Even if it’s just a 300g difference,” laughs Wu, gold medallist in the women’s 50kg event.


Food for thought

Li Qian, who has won a medal in the past three Summer Olympics including a gold in the 75kg boxing, shares her thoughts on perseverance.
“A life can be changed through exercise and I think when you have a goal that you stick to, it is also a cool thing,” the 34-year-old says.
“From Rio to Tokyo to Paris, I think it is a belief and an obsession with the gold medal that has kept me going.”


‘Cool to stick to a goal’

No running on the pool deck? Not if you are a Chinese diving sensation. The eight stars scurry to the warm-down pool before climbing the steps to the springboard.
Chen Yiwen, who bagged two gold medals in Paris, jumps into the pool, followed by Chang Yani, who secured bronze in the individual event and partnered the former to win the synchronised 3m springboard one.


Onwards, upwards

Mixed doubles champions Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong, and women’s doubles pair Chen Qingchen and Jia Yifan demonstrate techniques.
Zheng teams up with Chen this time, showing some perfect lobs and smashes. They are having so much fun until the host reminds them it is time for the doubles competition with local players.
Chen and Jia team up with Hong Kong’s Lianne Yeung and Yeung Pui-lam in the demonstrations, wowing the audience.


Badminton champs take over

Springboard divers Xie Siyi and Chen Yiwen both say they will return to Hong Kong if there is another chance.
“I am also very happy, seeing so many Hong Kong friends coming over to enjoy our performance. This is our honour,” Xie tells the host during an interview at the poolside.
“It is interesting to perform diving in such an entertaining way. It doesn’t feel as stressful as competitions,” says Chen, two-gold medallist in both individual and synchronised 3m springboard competitions.
Chen, who grew up in Guangdong, greets the Hong Kong audience in fluent Cantonese.





‘An honour to have so many Hongkongers coming to see us’

Rain may be falling outside the Victoria Park swimming pool, but it is not stopping some fans from cheering on their favourite athletes.
Armed with umbrellas, many eager fans waiting outside the venue continue to follow the demonstration through live streams on their devices.




Rain not dampening spirits

Following Chen and Xie’s chat, attention switches to the swimming pool and some speedy relay action.
It is not going unnoticed that Quan Hongchan is yet to perform, so expect more diving highlights to come.
For now, a mix of local and mainland swimmers are about to steal the show.
Pan Zhanle, who set tongues wagging around the globe with his world-record 100m freestyle feats in Paris, is among those dashing up and down the 50m pool.


Speedy relay in pool

Two lucky Hongkongers are selected from the audience to team up with mixed doubles champion Huang Yaqiong and shooting medallist Sheng Lihao in a badminton demonstration.



Lucky pair

The loudest roar of the day is reserved for Quan Hongchan as she steps to the edge of the 10m platform board.
Slight in stature, the 17-year-old is a speck in the sky viewed from ground level. She is characteristically graceful through the air and enters the water without making a dent.
Quan speedily makes her way back to the board, this time accompanied by synchronised 10m platform partner Chen Yuxi and the pair receive a loud cheer following a perfectly coordinated dive.

Gold medallists Quan Hongchan and Chen Yuxi dive into the pool
Video: Paul McNamara pic.twitter.com/Oiww2anX7N
— SCMP Hong Kong (@SCMPHongKong) August 31, 2024



Superstar Quan

Four badminton champions thank Hong Kong audience for the support and love. Jia Yifan and Chen Qingchen try some Cantonese in greetings.
Zheng Siwei says it has been seven years since he played in Hong Kong, adding that he misses the city.
“I know my Hong Kong audience misses me too,” Zheng says.
When asked about why she said Chen Qingchen is like her daughter in previous interviews, Jia Yifan responds that “only motherhood can have such high tolerance”.




Tolerance makes perfect

The athletes are playing it for laughs with a series of fun “dives”.
Chen and Chang would have returned from Paris empty-handed had they opted for their top-bombing routine, but the pair receive plenty of acclaim as they cheekily bow in tandem following a spectacularly untidy effort.
The entire eight-strong team perform a series of leaps one after the other, with joker-in-the-pack Long Daoyi always last to go and mustering a series of wacky dives.


Fun and games

Weightlifter Li Fabin, who won his second consecutive Olympic gold medal in the men’s 61kg competition in Paris, says pushing the bar keeps him happy in his two-decade career.
“Doing one thing for such a long time can be boring, but when I push my limits, I improve my performance, break records and win the championship. It gives me great happiness, and happiness is my motivation,” he says.
Liu Huanhua, another weightlifting gold medallist, says he picked up the sport because he used to be “naughty” and “curious” child.


‘Happiness is my motivation’

Shooter Huang Yuting, the champion of the mixed 10m air rifle team, says she will keep up her training to seek greater achievements for the country in the future.
“I will keep training and maintain my current good conditions and mindset,” she says.
Huang’s teammate Sheng Lihao pauses for a few seconds before answering the questions, which draws laughs and applause from the audience.
“I’m happy about this Hong Kong trip and everyone is enthusiastic,” the gold medallist says.
Xue Yu, men’s 10m air pistol champion, says: “Don’t care too much about the results and only focus on what is being done.”


A matter of focus

After taking on a Hong Kong dancer and showing some powerful moves, breakdancer Liu Qingyi says she is aiming for more medals.
“I believe gold and silver medals will be in my pocket soon,” bronze medallist Liu says when the host mistakenly says she finishes as runner-up.
“Dancing has no limitations. I have to find different elements in daily life and add them to my styles.”

A breaking demonstration
Video: Leopold Chen pic.twitter.com/6CEC020XPv
— SCMP Hong Kong (@SCMPHongKong) August 31, 2024



Breakdancer Liu Qingyi takes stage

Diving queen Quan Hongchan rocks the crowd at Victoria Park Swimming Pool with her post-demonstration interview.
“I think this is all great fun … everything is fun,” she tells the host when asked what she thinks about Friday’s sightseeing tour in the city.
She again introduces herself and thanks the audience in Cantonese, and ends the interview with the signature Lunar New Year blessing: “Kung hei fat choi!”


Quan says she’s having fun, sends another ‘Kung hei fat choi’ blessing

At the pool, Xie Siyi strolls over to a group of local athletes to share Chinese pins from the Olympic Games.
A number of athletes – and journalists – became fixated on collecting the keepsakes in Paris.
The Chinese divers then join their local counterparts for a group snap.





Xie pins local athletes

Gold medallists Chen Meng and Wang Manyu play against Hong Kong’s pair.
Shouts of “Chen Meng, add oil!” erupt from the audience.
The women’s doubles pairs give the stage to champions Wang Chuqin and Fan Zhendong, who play against local pair Wong Chun-ting and Doo Hoi-kem.
The Chinese pair are given smaller paddles. The Hong Kong pair win the game by scoring five points first.
Table tennis legend Ma Long takes the stage with Hong Kong’s Wong.
A lucky woman is selected from the audience to play against Ma, with Chen instructing her.


Big shout-out for table tennis champions

Wherever Quan Hongchan goes, her collection of turtle toys is never far behind.
And, sure enough, Quan has her trusty sidekicks close by for a group photo.




The power of the turtle

A penny for the thoughts of the local athletes who have just performed alongside the best divers in the world.
They have the pictures to prove it, too. The Olympic stars dry themselves down, get back into their white and red tracksuits and return for a series of joint photos.
When the new friends finally separate, a scrum of the younger local contingent crowd around Quan Hongchan, who obliges every autograph request. One girl gets a hug from her, too.


Memories for life

“The result of the Paris Olympics is perfect. Now I want to enjoy the time visiting Hong Kong,” Fan Zhendong tells the Queen Elizabeth Stadium audience.
Legend Ma Long says he experiences great enthusiasm from Hong Kong people and encourages the city’s young players to keep going and enjoy the sport.
“I’m happy here and have experienced the residents’ enthusiasm,” he says. “I hope young athletes will enjoy what table tennis brings them.”
Teammate Chen Meng, the women’s singles champion, says: “I’m happy to be back to Hong Kong after several years.”
She adds: “I like Hong Kong and I thank the support of the audience.”

Helped by Chen Meng, a spectator rallies with Ma Long
Video: Leopold Chen pic.twitter.com/ztrIpRk47c
— SCMP Hong Kong (@SCMPHongKong) August 31, 2024






‘Enjoy what table tennis brings’

Synchronised swimmer Xiao Yanning says the unity formed through hard training from a young age is the key to their historic artistic swimming gold in Paris.
“We cherish our sisterhood very much. We know each other so well that we can understand each other with just one look,” she says after a stunning performance.
Teammate Feng Yu adds that the eight swimmers have been training together since a young age and fostered great friendship, despite the many difficulties they have encountered.




‘We understand each other with one look’

A video compilation of various Chinese medal feats is shown on the giant televisions inside Victoria Park Swimming Pool.
The stars of the screen then re-emerge for a final goodbye.
They walk in single file around the swimming pool, before settling in one line at the shallow end for a giant wave farewell.
Fans are standing, waving their flags and craning their necks for one final look at the superstars with whom they have just shared their morning.

Fans cheer as members of the diving team board their bus
Video: Harvey Kong pic.twitter.com/VwhYELVb0X
— SCMP Hong Kong (@SCMPHongKong) August 31, 2024



Fond farewell

The demonstrations in Wan Chai come to a close with a video speech by Hong Kong’s own gold medallist, fencer Cheung Ka-long.
“It is really a rare thing for us to appreciate the grace of so many world No 1s at such a close distance. It’s a pity that I’m not in Hong Kong right now so I can’t participate in this event in person,” the star says.
“Every athlete who could attend the Paris Olympics put in a lot of sweat and effort to compete on behalf of the country and Hong Kong.”
The fencer is out of town, reportedly holidaying on the Japanese island of Ishigaki.


Cheung Ka-long speech wraps up Wan Chai show

A fan is invited to try a few shots with table tennis legend Ma Long.
The fan, who says she never tried the sport, is instructed hand in hand by women’s singles champion Chen Meng.



Lesson for lucky fan

The Victoria Park swimming pool is steadily emptying, with only a lucky draw left for entertainment.
Both pools are becalmed, except for the jets working hard beneath four diving platforms.
The tidy-up operation is under way and the local athletes have followed their Chinese counterparts out of the exit door.


Hush descends

Record-breaking swimmer Pan Zhanle says the high-profile three-day visit to Hong Kong has made him “less afraid” of the camera.
He adds he can act more naturally, but noting the presence of the audience makes him more tense.
He also pledges to aim for the Los Angeles and Brisbane Games in an interaction with local youth.
The 100m freestyle world record holder says that everyday training does the trick and the pressure ahead of the game also adds to the motivation to perform.
“I think [the achievement] is inseparable from daily accumulation. This is the most important thing. You can’t be lazy on any day,” he says.


Pan Zhanle ‘less nervous’ in front of camera

The mainland Olympians are heading to the Kowloon Shangri-La hotel for lunch after their crowd-pleasing demonstrations.
Some star athletes in the delegation are expected to talk to local media before wrapping up their visit to Hong Kong.
They will head to Macau for a three-day itinerary through the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge in the afternoon.


Lunch at hotel before heading to Macau

Engineer Keith Cheung and his nine-year-old son, Karson, say they are excited to see the Olympians in person and are amazed by their demonstrations of techniques and skills.
Cheung says he loves the lively atmosphere and the athletic performances are encouraging.
“I came to see Ma Long and Zheng Siwei,” Karson says.
“I also play table tennis and badminton myself and I have learned about perseverance from the champions,” the boy adds.



‘I learned perseverance from champions’

Audiences speak highly of the demonstrations as the show at Queen Elizabeth Stadium comes to an end.
“I am impressed by Ma Long’s backhand shot and I really like the moment when Chen Meng instructed the fan to play. Performances by Hong Kong young gymnasts are also impressive,” Shenzhen fan Yan Yuqing says.
University staff member Della Du also praises the show.
“I used to think it was just friendly matches between Hong Kong and the national teams. The tricks they play are really beyond my expectations,” she says.


‘Impressive performances’

Finance employee Amy Chan took her nine-year-old nephew Ethan Chan to see the table tennis champions at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium.
She says she admires Ma Long for his remarkable achievements of bagging a total of six Olympic gold medals so far.
“He is also very handsome,” Chan, who is in her 30s, says.
“Seeing them play in person is not the same as watching the Games on television. The atmosphere is excellent,” she says.
Ethan Chan says he has just started learning to play table tennis during this summer holiday, adding that seeing the medallists in person will encourage him to train harder.
“They are an inspiration to me,” he adds.



‘An inspiration to me’

Athletes who were absent from the demonstrations, including table tennis world No 1 Sun Yingsha, butterfly queen Zhang Yufei and weightlifter Li Wenwen, attended an event at Hong Kong Metropolitan University on Saturday morning.
“Wearing my national team jersey, I realise the national flag on the chest is more important than my name printed at the back,” Sun says in a speech.
She adds that individual dreams should be bonded with national honour.




Where are the missing champions?

Clerk Elma Lui and her daughter Mavis Li, 12, watched the swimming and diving, with Li winning a swim cap autographed by the athletes.
“I am really emotional as I got their actual autographs,” says Mavis, holding two home-made posters.
The 12-year-old says her favourite athletes are Chen Yuxi and Quan Hongchan because of their “water splash disappearance technique”.



Happy fans

Shooting star Sheng Lihao, who won the country’s first gold in Paris, tries his hand at badminton during the demonstrations.
His stumbling awkward moves soon attract a lot of online discussion on Chinese social media.
“He is like a glitching robot,” jokes one Weibo user. “His four limbs are busy in their own ways.”
Another user quips: “An inflatable man is playing badminton. I cannot believe he is a world champion … in another sport.”




‘Glitching robot’ gold medallist

Fu Mingxia, a Chinese 90s diving legend and four-time Olympic champion, is seen watching the diving and swimming demonstrations with her family.
She is seated next to Guo Jingjing, another retired diving queen who shone in the early 2000s.
It is rare to see two generations of divers watch their successors rise at the same time.



Generations of diving queens

Sun Jiajun, who secured gold in the men’s 4x100m medley relay, enjoys a fan moment when he takes a picture with veteran diver Guo Jingjing.
In a video circulating on mainland Chinese social media platform Weibo, Sun approaches the retired diver at the Victoria Park swimming pool before the demonstration session and asks for a picture with her.
Guo is married to Kenneth Fok Kai-kong, the vice-president of the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China.
