China at the Olympics

The People's Republic of China (commonly known as China) has only recently started taking part in the Olympic games. This happened because of the Cultural Revolution and because the International Olympic Committee first recognized the Republic of China, not the People's Republic of China. Because of this, China did not join the Olympics for more than 20 years. The People's Republic of China was finally recognized by the Chinese Olympic Committee in 1979, and the country sent its first full team to the Summer Olympic Games in the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, United States.

As of 2026, China has come in first place once in the Summer Olympics, second place four times, and third place two times. The country has won 330 gold medals, 262 silver medals, and 227 bronze medals over 13 Olympic games. With 12 times in the Summer Olympics and 13 times in the Winter Olympics, China is the most successful country in the Asia–Oceania area. This makes China the 3rd most successful country in Olympic history, after the United States and the Soviet Union.

Participation

China first joined the Olympic Games as the team from the Republic of China in the 1924 Summer Olympics up until the 1948 Summer Olympics. Later, they competed as the People's Republic of China at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Finland, but could only join one event because they arrived late. Because of disagreements about which team should represent China, the People's Republic of China stopped joining many international sports events until the 1970s. They came back to the International Olympic Committee in 1979 and sent athletes to the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, United States. Their first full team at the Summer Olympics after 1952 was at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, United States.

Designation Issues - PRC versus ROC and classification of Hong Kong

Before 1979, athletes from the island of Taiwan competed in the Olympics as the Republic of China (ROC). Because of a disagreement over who could use the name "China", the People's Republic of China (PRC) did not take part in the Olympic Games during this time.

In 1979, the International Olympic Committee decided that the name "China" would belong to the PRC, based in Beijing. The athletes from Taiwan would then be called Chinese Taipei. This decision allowed the PRC to join the Olympic Games.

Hong Kong has had its own National Olympic Committee since 1950 and has competed in the Olympics since 1952. Even after Hong Kong became part of the PRC in 1997, it continued to compete separately under the name Hong Kong, China.

Olympic bids and hosted Games

The People's Republic of China has hosted the Olympic Games twice: in (/wiki/2008_Summer_Olympics) and in (/wiki/2022_Winter_Olympics). Beijing is the first city to have hosted both the Summer and Winter Olympics.

Following economic changes, China successfully bid to host the 2008 Olympic Games in 2001. This was a big step for China as an Olympic host. The government and people worked together, investing a lot of money to prepare for the Games. The event helped show China's culture to the world and brought many benefits to the country, like creating jobs and boosting tourism.

Hosted Games

Unsuccessful bids

Overview of Olympic participation

See also: All-time Olympic Games medal table

China started joining the Olympic Games only in recent history. For more than 20 years, China could not take part because of some big changes in the country and decisions made by groups that organize the Olympics. China was finally recognized by these groups in 1979.

China sent its first full team to the Summer Olympics in 1984, which happened in Los Angeles, United States.

China at the Summer Olympics

   Host country

China at the Winter Olympics

  Host country

Medals by sports

Main article: List of Olympic medalists for China

Medals by summer sport

Chinese athletes have won medals in most of the current Summer Olympics sports. However, they have not won medals in triathlon, equestrian, rugby, skateboarding, surfing, and water polo.

Medals by winter sport

Chinese athletes have won medals in 7 out of 15 current Winter Olympics sports. Most of the gold medals and half of all the medals come from the sport of short track speed skating.

Best results in non-medaling sports:

Flagbearer

Summer Games

Winter Games

History

Early appearance and hiatus

After China was founded in 1949, they sent a group to the Olympic Games for the first time in 1952 in Helsinki, Finland. The group included athletes and officials, but only one swimmer could join the competition in time. The football team played two friendly matches. China stayed in Helsinki for ten days and joined the closing ceremony. The team from the Republic of China left the Games because both teams wanted to compete. This caused China to leave the International Olympic Committee in 1958.

In the 1970s, China made friends with the United States through table tennis and started diplomatic ties in 1979. This led to China joining the International Olympic Committee again in October 1979.

Sports summary

By 2012, China won most of their gold medals—three out of four—in six sports: table tennis, badminton, diving, gymnastics, weightlifting, and shooting. China did very well in table tennis, badminton, and diving, winning many gold medals in these sports.

China started doing better in other sports too, like swimming, which might become one of their top sports soon.

1984

China won 15 gold medals and came in fourth place at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

Xu Haifeng won China’s first-ever gold medal in shooting. Li Ning won six medals in gymnastics, earning him the nickname “Prince of Gymnasts” in China.

The Chinese women’s volleyball team won China’s first gold medal in a team sport.

1988

China won 5 gold medals and ranked 11th at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea.

Li Meisu won China’s first medal in athletics.

China also won its first medals in rowing.

1992

China won 16 gold medals and ranked 4th at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain.

Chen Yueling won China’s first athletics gold medal.

Chinese female swimmers won many medals, but some faced issues a few years later.

Deng Yaping won two table tennis gold medals.

Zhuang Xiaoyan won China’s first judo gold medal.

Zhang Xiaodong won China’s first medal in sailing.

The Chinese women’s basketball team won a silver medal.

1996

China won 16 gold medals and ranked 4th again at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, USA.

Fu Mingxia won two diving gold medals.

Deng Yaping won two gold medals in table tennis again.

Liu Guoliang also won two table tennis gold medals. China won all four golds in table tennis for the first time.

Wang Junxia won gold and silver in athletics.

The Chinese women’s football team won a silver medal.

2000

China won 28 gold medals and ranked 3rd at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia.

Wang Nan won two gold medals in table tennis, and China won all four golds in table tennis again.

Chen Zhong won China’s first taekwondo gold medal.

Jiang Cuihua won China’s first medal in cycling.

2004

China won 32 gold medals and ranked 2nd at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.

Liu Xiang became the first Chinese male athlete to win gold in an Olympic track event.

Wang Yifu won gold in shooting for the second time.

Meng Guanliang and Yang Wenjun won China’s first canoeing gold medal.

Li Ting and Sun Tiantian won China’s first tennis gold medal.

Wang Xu won China’s first wrestling gold medal.

The Chinese women’s volleyball team won China’s second gold medal in a team sport after 20 years.

2008

As the host country, China won 48 gold medals, 22 silvers and 30 bronze, in total 100 medals, and ranked 1st at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

Guo Jingjing won two gold medals in diving.

Zhang Yining won two gold medals in table tennis.

Ma Lin also won two table tennis gold medals. China won all four golds in table tennis for the third time.

Zhong Man won China’s first men’s fencing gold medal.

Zhang Juanjuan won China’s first archery gold medal.

Zou Shiming and Zhang Xiaoping won China’s first boxing gold medals.

Yin Jian won China’s first sailing gold medal.

China won its first rowing gold medal.

Chinese gymnasts won 11 gold medals, the most in history.

Zou Kai won three gold medals.

Liu Xiang pulled out of the 110 m hurdles due to injury.

2012

China won 38 gold medals and finished 2nd at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Great Britain.

Sun Yang became the first Chinese male swimmer to win gold in the Olympics. He won two gold medals.

Ye Shiwen became the first Chinese female swimmer to win two gold medals in a single Olympics. She won gold medals in two events.

Chen Ding won gold in walking.

Chen Ruolin won two gold medals in diving.

Wu Minxia won diving gold medals, becoming the only Chinese athlete to win three gold medals in a single event.

Zou Kai won two gold medals in gymnastics.

Xu Lijia won gold in sailing.

Lin Dan won badminton gold.

Zhao Yunlei won two badminton gold medals.

Cao Zhongrong won China’s first medal in modern pentathlon.

The Chinese table tennis team won all four golds for the fourth time. The Chinese badminton team won all five golds for the first time.

Liu Xiang pulled out of the 110 m hurdles due to injury again.

No Chinese team sports reached the final four, the worst performance in Chinese Olympic history.

2016

China won 26 gold medals and ranked 3rd at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Sun Yang won a gold medal in swimming.

Gong Jinjie and Zhong Tianshi won China’s first cycling gold medal.

Feng Shanshan won China’s first golf medal.

Dong Bin won a bronze medal in triple jump, China’s first medal in this event.

The Chinese women’s volleyball team won a third gold medal after 12 years.

Wu Minxia defended her synchro diving event for the fourth time, becoming the most successful Chinese athlete ever.

2020

China won 38 gold, 32 silver, 18 bronze medals and ranked 2nd at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan in August 2021.

Su Bingtian reached the final in the 100 m race, the first Chinese athlete to do so. He also helped the Chinese relay team win China’s first medal in athletic relays.

Gong Lijiao won a gold medal in shot put, the first ever Chinese athlete to win gold in field events.

Liu Shiying won a gold medal in javelin throw.

Lü Xiaojun won a gold medal in weightlifting, becoming the oldest weightlifter champion and the first Chinese athlete to win three gold medals in an individual event.

2024

China won 40 gold, 27 silver, 24 bronze medals, and ranked 2nd at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France in August 2024, their best result after the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

Zheng Qinwen won the gold medal in women’s singles tennis, marking China’s and Asia’s first-ever gold in the Olympic singles tennis event.

Deng Yawen won China’s first gold medal in women’s BMX freestyle.

Pan Zhanle won China’s first gold in men’s 100 m freestyle, breaking Olympic, Asian, and his own world record.

Chang Yuan, Wu Yu, and Li Qian all won gold medals in boxing.

The Chinese diving team won all 8 gold medals in diving, the first all-golds since synchronized diving was introduced.

Liu Qingyi won a bronze medal in breaking, its inaugural event at the Olympics.

The Chinese artistic swimming team won gold in the team event, with Wang Liuyi and Wang Qianyi winning gold in the duet event.

The Chinese women’s field hockey team won silver, their best result yet.

The Chinese table tennis team won all five golds for the first time since the mixed event was added in 2020. Ma Long also won his sixth gold medal, putting him as the Chinese Olympian with the most gold medals.

Winter Games

Sports summary

China won medals in only 6 of the 15 Winter Olympics sports. Most of the golds and half of the medals come from short track speed skating.

1980–1988

No medals.

1992–1998

Ye Qiaobo won China’s first Winter Olympics medal in speed skating.

Chen Lu won consecutive bronze medals in 1994 and 1998, becoming the first Chinese figure skater to medal at the Winter Olympic Games.

2002

Yang Yang (A) won the country’s first Winter Olympics gold medal in short track speed skating, as the first gold medal for Team China in Olympic Winter Games.

2006

Han Xiaopeng became the first Chinese male athlete to win a Winter Olympics gold medal in freestyle skiing.

2010

Wang Meng earned three golds in short track speed skating.

Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo won figure skating gold in pair skating, after four prior participations.

Wang Bingyu and her team won the first curling Olympic medal for China in the women’s tournament.

2014

China won 3 gold, 4 silver, 2 bronze medals and ranked 12th at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia in February 2014.

Zhang Hong won the first Chinese gold medal in speed skating.

2018

China won 1 gold, 6 silver, 2 bronze medals and ranked 16th at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea in February 2018.

Liu Jiayu won the country’s first ever Olympic medal in snowboarding for China.

Wu Dajing became the first Chinese male short track speed skating Olympic champion by breaking the world record at the 500-metre event.

2022

China won 9 gold, 4 silver, 2 bronze medals and ranked 4th at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China in February 2022, as the first ever home winter games.

Ailing Eileen Gu became the first ever freestyle skier to win three medals at one Olympic Game, the first female Chinese gold medalist in freestyle skiing, and the most successful freestyle skier ever in Olympic freestyle skiing event.

Yan Wengang won the first ever medal in skeleton for Team China, bronze in men’s single.

Xu Mengtao finally won the first ever gold in women’s aerial since the first silver medal won by Xu Nannan in Nagano 1998 and 5 silver medals & 2 bronze medals won by Team China in this event at former games.

Su Yiming became the first Chinese athlete to win a gold in Olympic snowboarding events.

Gao Tingyu became the first Chinese male athlete to win a gold in Olympic speed skating events.

Medalists

Summer Olympics

Chinese athletes often compete in diving, gymnastics, table tennis, and swimming. Many of the athletes who have won several medals come from these sports.

Multiple medalists

Here is a list of Chinese athletes who have won at least three gold medals or five medals in the Summer Olympics.

Multiple gold medalists at a single game

This list shows Chinese athletes who have won at least two gold medals in one Summer Olympics.

Multiple medalists in a single event

This list includes Chinese athletes who have won at least three medals in one event during the Summer Olympics.

Wang Yifu competed in six Olympic Games from 1984 to 2004. He took part in the 10 m air pistol event five times and did well in many of them.

Guo Jingjing competed in four Olympic Games from 1996 to 2008. She placed fifth in the 10m platform diving event in 1996 at age 15. She later switched to springboard diving and won several medals in the next three Olympics.

Chen Jing competed for China in 1988 and for Chinese Taipei in 1996 and 2000.

Most appearances

This list shows Chinese athletes who competed in at least four Summer Olympics.

Luan Jujie competed for China in 1984 and won China's first Olympic fencing gold medal. She later moved to Canada and competed for them in 1988, 2000, and 2008.

The youngest and oldest gold medalists

Winter Olympics

Multiple medalists

This is a list of Chinese athletes who have won at least two gold medals or three medals in the Winter Olympics.

Multiple gold medalists at a single game

Here are Chinese athletes who have won at least two gold medals in one Winter Olympics.

Multiple medalists in a single event

This list shows Chinese athletes who have won at least three medals in one event during the Winter Olympics.

Most appearances

This list includes Chinese athletes who competed in at least four Winter Olympics.

The youngest and oldest gold medalists

Milestones

China started competing in the Olympic Games relatively recently. Because of some important changes in the country and the way international sports were organized, China did not take part in the Olympics for over 20 years. China was finally recognized by the group that runs the Olympics in 1979 and sent its first full team to the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, United States, in 1984.

Summer Games

China won its first medal and first gold medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics, both won by Xu Haifeng in shooting. Here are some important milestones:

• 1st medal: Xu Haifeng, Shooting, 1984
• 1st gold medal: Xu Haifeng, Shooting, 1984
• 10th gold medal: Li Ning, Gymnastics, 1984
• 50th gold medal: Deng Yaping, Table tennis, 1996
• 100th gold medal: Zhang Yining, Table tennis, 2004
• 200th gold medal: Chen Ruolin, Diving, 2012
• 300th gold medal: Chen Meng, Sun Yingsha and Wang Manyu, Table tennis, 2024

Winter Games

China won its first medal at the Winter Olympics in 1992, earned by Ye Qiaobo in speed skating. Here are some important milestones:

• 1st medal: Ye Qiaobo, Speed skating, 1992
• 1st gold medal: Yang Yang (A), Short track speed skating, 2002
• 10th gold medal: Li Jianrou, Short track speed skating, 2014

Hosting Olympic logo and mottos

2008 Summer Olympics

The 2008 Summer Olympics was a special moment for China, as it was the first time the country hosted the Olympic Games. The capital city, Beijing, was chosen to be the host. The motto for these games was One World One Dream (同一个世界 同一个梦想).

2014 Summer Youth Olympics

The 2014 Summer Youth Olympics was the second time China hosted the Olympics, and it took place in Nanjing. The motto for this event was Share the Games, Share our Dreams (分享青春, 共筑未来).

2022 Winter Olympics

The 2022 Winter Olympics was the third time China hosted the Olympics, and it was held again in Beijing. The motto for these games was Together for a Shared Future (一起向未来). Before this, the motto was Joyful Rendezvous Upon Pure Ice and Snow (纯洁的冰雪 激情的约会).

Doping

Main article: Doping in China

China has lost three Olympic medals because athletes used unfair methods to improve their performance. These athletes were weightlifters who were found to have done this during the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

A former doctor from China has said that many athletes in the country may have been given special drugs to help them perform better in sports events from the 1980s through the 1990s, and possibly even in later years. However, official groups looking into these claims have not made any final decisions or taken action. The Chinese government has said that any use of these special drugs was done by individual athletes, not by the government itself.

Disqualified/upgraded medalists

Disqualified medalists

China lost four Olympic medals after some athletes broke the rules. Three female weightlifters lost their medals from the 2008 Olympics. The women's gymnastics team also lost a bronze medal from the 2000 Olympics because one of the athletes was too young to compete.

Main articles: 2000 Summer Olympics medal table, 2008 Summer Olympics medal table, and List of stripped Olympic medals

Upgraded medalists

Main articles: 1988 Summer Olympics medal table, 2000 Summer Olympics medal table, 2008 Summer Olympics medal table, 2012 Summer Olympics medal table, 2016 Summer Olympics medal table, and 2020 Summer Olympics medal table