Beijing (CNN)For a nation known for its obsession for gold, Team China seemed to have had a rough time in Rio de Janeiro.
The
country came in third place in the gold medal count at the 2016 Summer
Games, trailing the United States and Great Britain. Eight years ago in
Beijing, China sat on top with a record 51 gold medals.
Now, analysts and spectators are debating if China has moved beyond its single-minded determination in winning gold.
Some see a diminishing role
for sports as an outlet for nationalism, thanks to China's economic and
military ascent on the global stage. Others consider funny swimmer Fu
Yuanhui's instant popularity a sign of a demographic shift in Olympic
viewing, as younger generations focus more on personalities than
results.
But if one looks at the hardware, there is no denying that China came up short.
"We
agree that winning gold is not the only benchmark, but we also
recognize the Olympic motto is faster, higher and stronger after all,"
said Liu Peng, China's sports minister, in Rio on Saturday.
A slow start
China began its quest at the Games without winning gold on day one.
Soon came some unexpected flops in fields that China usually excels in: diving, gymnastics and swimming.
Chinese swimmer fails doping test in Rio 00:50
Female swimmer Chen Xinyi, a rising star, tested positive for a banned substance.
Then,
100-meter freestyle world champion Ning Zetao -- the swimming team's
golden boy and a huge celebrity -- finished his Rio races empty-handed.
Finally,
blaming an illness, Sun Yang -- the world-record holder in men's
1,500-meter freestyle -- failed to even qualify for the final.
Gold medalist Yang Sun of China poses on the podium during the medal ceremony for the men's 200m freestyle on August 8.
Fu was the one Chinese
swimmer who bucked the gloomy trend and became an overnight sensation.
The 20-year-old lit up -- and cracked up -- the whole nation with her
exuberant and at times hilarious answers during post-competition
interviews on state television. Her reactions formed a stark contrast to
the usual somber responses from Chinese athletes.
Chinese swimmer praised for challenging taboo 01:05
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