It might not be done intentionally, but national pride has long been weaved into the Olympic Games, and no country has taken that pride more seriously than China. The pride, however, didn’t come until 2001 when Beijing was awarded the ability to host the 2008 Olympics, which was described as “a symbol of rejuvenation” for the country, to wipe out the stereotyped memory about Chinese acrimony.
To do so, China sent the then biggest-ever Olympic team of 639 athletes to compete on home soil and lavished a record $43 billion on hosting the international sports event, including the extravagant opening ceremony that showcased its historical glory and new achievements. Pressures were not only on organisers but also athletes, who were expected to pull off sporting success in order to produce a monument of national pride.
The efforts paid off. The host topped the gold medal tally for the first time in 2008, amassing 48, beating the United States who had a second-largest haul of 36. Although the country experienced a let-down at the following London Olympics, slipping to the second with 38 golds, and an even bigger disappointment was seen at Rio in 2016 when China fell to the third with 26 golds after the US (46) and the UK (27). The decline in Olympic performance has only aroused China to double down its efforts in building up its soft power through sports, further spurring the country and using this disappointment as a catalyst for future dominance.
Read More at https://daoinsights.com/exclusives/olympians-become-faces-of-new-brands-capitalising-on-chinas-growing-national-pride-in-sports/
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