China's success

The Chinese delegation hailed its 38 golds as another outstanding achievement, equaling China's haul at the 2012 London Olympics.

At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, China dominated the gold medal table, while the US finished with the second-highest number of golds.

In a congratulatory message sent to the Tokyo Olympics delegation, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council said: "You have won immense glory for your country and people …You've overcome severe challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, and fulfilled your mission wonderfully."

The outstanding performances of Chinese athletes sparked passion and patriotic sentiment at home.

For example, despite not winning a medal in the three Olympics he has taken part in, including the Tokyo Games, sprinter Su Bingtian was termed an "eternal god" by Chinese netizens.

With a time of 9.83 seconds, Su made history in Tokyo, setting an Asian record on the way to becoming the first Chinese athlete to qualify for the men's 100-meter final at an Olympics.

Although he finished sixth in the final, Su's delight was evident－shattering the notion that Asians are not built to succeed in an event long-dominated by Western athletes.

After the final, the number of Su's fans on Sina Weibo rose to more than 500,000 in just two days. An exclusive interview with Su's US coach Randy Huntington by China Daily was viewed more than 13 million times, triggering 150 million discussions on the internet.

In honor of his achievement, Su was chosen to be Team China's flag-bearer at the closing ceremony.

The 32-year-old said in a group interview: "It's an honor like no other. To be an athlete representing China in this closing ceremony is a huge privilege.

"In Tokyo, I can see that we have made a huge improvement in athletics. For China to hit 9.83 seconds is something we've never been able to do before. This means that China has changed from a country that watches, to a country that stands shoulder to shoulder with the big guys."

In addition to Su, a group of young Chinese stars shone brightly in Tokyo.

Quan Hongchan, 14, stunned the world with three superb dives to achieve the highest score ever in the women's 10-meter platform event. The baby-faced Quan scored perfect 10s in three of her five dives.

Quan's story is both inspiring and endearing.

She said she made every effort to win, in order to support her low-income family and earn money so that her mother, who is ill, can be treated.

"I feel that I have to earn money to send home to mom. She is ill, and I want to make a lot of money for her treatment so that she can be completely cured," Quan said in a post-event interview.

Quan's success and story led to snacks, game machines and medical services reaching her family, as after her victory, the teenager said she wanted to eat latiao, a spicy snack made of wheat flour and chili.

China sent 431 athletes to Tokyo, with 58 of them born after 2000 contributing more than 10 golds, raising high expectations for another bumper haul in the future.