China's swimming program makes a breakthrough, earning a spot among the Top 10 Sports News Stories of 2024 in China.

Xinhua News Agency's Sports Department selects the Top 10 Chinese Sports Stories of 2024 (listed in chronological order of events).

1. China Achieves Breakthrough in Major Swimming Events

At the Doha World Championships in February, China’s swimming team clinched 7 gold medals and even broke one world record, kicking off a year of remarkable breakthroughs. At the Paris Olympics, Pan Zhanle shattered his own men’s 100m freestyle world record to claim gold, also helping his teammates Xu JiaYu, Qin Haiyang, and Sun Jiajun (with Wang Changhao competing in the heats) secure the men’s 4x100m medley relay title—ending the U.S. team’s 40-year Olympic dominance in this event. Meanwhile, China’s synchronized swimming squad achieved a historic milestone by winning their first-ever Olympic gold medals, taking both the team and duet events. And for the first time ever, China’s diving team swept all the available gold medals at the Games.

2. The 14th National Winter Games are being held in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

From February 17 to 27, the 14th National Winter Games were held in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, marking several "firsts": it was the first time China hosted a nationwide comprehensive winter sports event since the Beijing Winter Olympics; for the first time, mass participation events were included; teams competed not just at the national level, but also organized by provinces, regions, and municipalities; the event fully aligned its disciplines with those of the Winter Olympics for the first time; and this marked Inner Mongolia's debut as the host of a national-level comprehensive sports competition.

3. China's badminton team once again swept both the Thomas Cup and Uber Cup after a 12-year gap.

On May 5, China's men's and women's badminton teams both defeated Indonesia in the finals of the Thomas Cup and Uber Cup held in Chengdu, clinching their 11th Thomas Cup title and 16th Uber Cup title in history. This marked the first time in 12 years that China swept both the Thomas and Uber Cups.

4. The First National Fitness Games Held

On May 20, the first National Fitness Games kicked off in Shenyang. The event was held across seven regional venues, featuring more than 6,000 sports activities spanning nearly 100 different disciplines, with over 2 million people participating directly.

5. Zheng Qinwen Leads China's Tennis Team to Make History

On August 3, Zheng Qinwen clinched the Paris Olympics women’s singles tennis title, becoming the first Asian player to win an Olympic gold medal in the event. She also finished as runner-up at both the Australian Open and the WTA Finals. Meanwhile, Wang Xinyu and Zhang Zhizhen claimed the silver medal in mixed doubles at the Paris Olympics, while Shang Juncheng made history as the first player born in the 2005s to break into the men’s singles top 50 rankings. Additionally, Zhu Zhenzhen secured the women’s singles runner-up spot at the French Open wheelchair tournament. Meanwhile, the "China Season" of tennis events reached unprecedented popularity, with ticket sales for tournaments like the China Open, Wuhan Open, and Shanghai Masters setting all-time revenue records.

6. Xi Jinping Meets with the Chinese Sports Delegation for the 33rd Olympic Games

On August 20, Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, President of China, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, met with all members of the Chinese delegation to the 33rd Summer Olympic Games at the Great Hall of the People and delivered an important speech. He emphasized that the outstanding achievements of the Chinese sports delegation not only reflect the significant progress in China's sports development but also serve as a microcosm of China's modernization efforts, vividly showcasing the strength of China in the new era.

At the Paris Olympics, held from July 26 to August 11, the Chinese sports delegation brilliantly secured a total of 91 medals—40 gold, 27 silver, and 24 bronze—marking China's best-ever performance in Summer Olympic Games competitions held outside the country. Meanwhile, at the Paris Paralympics, the Chinese team clinched an impressive haul of 220 medals: 94 gold, 76 silver, and 50 bronze—repeating their remarkable achievement by claiming both the top spot on the gold medal and overall medal tables for the sixth consecutive time at the Summer Paralympics.

7. Think Tank Report Released: "On the Path to a Sports Powerhouse—The Contemporary Value and Global Insights of Xi Jinping’s Important Discourses on Sports"

On August 27, Xinhua News Agency’s National High-End Think Tank released the think tank report titled "Charting the Path to a Sporting Powerhouse: The Contemporary Value and Global Insights of Xi Jinping’s Important Discourses on Sports" in Beijing. The report argues that Xi Jinping’s significant ideas on sports constitute a systematic, scientific, and comprehensive theoretical framework spanning disciplines such as sociology, culture, politics, economics, and anthropology. At its core, these ideas emphasize leveraging the power of sports to build a holistic "5C" system—integrating individuals, society, the nation, civilization, and the global community—thereby advancing China’s unique path to modernization and, ultimately, driving forward the nation’s rejuvenation and the broader goal of building a strong, prosperous country.

8. The General Office of the State Council has issued the "Several Opinions on Harnessing the Vitality of the Ice and Snow Economy through High-Quality Development of Ice and Snow Sports."

On November 6, the General Office of the State Council issued the "Several Opinions on Boosting the Vitality of the Ice and Snow Economy through High-Quality Development of Ice and Snow Sports," outlining a vision to reach a total ice and snow economy value of 1.2 trillion yuan by 2027, rising to 1.5 trillion yuan by 2030.

9. The first National Youth Games for the Three Major Ball Sports Held

Currently, China's three major ball sports—basketball, volleyball, and soccer—are struggling at the competitive level, with a noticeable gap compared to the world's top teams. To promote and popularize these sports nationwide, boost local enthusiasm for youth training, and foster a collaborative effort toward revitalization and development, the first National Youth Games for the Three Major Ball Sports will be held from November 20 to 28 in Changsha and Yueyang cities, Hunan Province. The event is scheduled to take place annually thereafter.

On December 16, the State Council Executive Meeting reviewed and advanced efforts to revitalize and develop football, emphasizing that boosting soccer is a key priority in building a sports powerhouse. The meeting stressed the need to intensify implementation of relevant policies and initiatives, ensuring that football continues to reach new heights.

10. The "Guiding Opinions on Using Sports to Strengthen the Sense of Community among the Chinese Nation" Released

In November, seven departments—including the General Administration of Sport and the State Ethnic Affairs Commission—jointly released the "Guiding Opinions on Using Sports to Strengthen the Sense of Community Among the Chinese Nation." The guidelines emphasize that sports not only contribute to national strength but also directly impact the daily lives and interests of the people, playing an indispensable role in fostering a stronger sense of community among China's ethnic groups and promoting greater interaction, exchange, and integration among all ethnic communities.

From November 22 to 30, the 12th National Ethnic Minority Traditional Sports Games were held in Sanya, Hainan Province. The event brought together 6,960 athletes representing delegations from all provinces (autonomous regions, municipalities) across China, as well as teams from the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Macao Special Administrative Region, and ethnic minority groups from Taiwan. This marked the first time that delegations from every region came together in a unified celebration at a comprehensive national sports event.

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