Hong Kong welcomes Olympic stars

A star-studded delegation of mainland athletes who achieved outstanding results at the Paris Olympic Games arrived in Hong Kong on Thursday for a series of activities to demonstrate the medalists' Olympic spirit and to interact with local residents for three days.

Led by Gao Zhidan, president of the Chinese Olympic Committee, a group of 65 Chinese Olympians, including 59 gold medalists from the Paris 2024 Olympics, arrived in Hong Kong on Thursday. It has been a tradition since 2004 for mainland Olympic medalists to visit the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions after finishing the Summer Olympic Games.

China celebrated its most successful overseas performance ever during the Paris Olympics, securing the second spot in the overall medal standings with a haul of 40 gold medals.

The visiting delegation included diving superstar Quan Hongchan and record-breaking swimmer Pan Zhanle.

During a welcoming meeting, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said that the event provides Hong Kong residents with the opportunity to witness the excellence of national athletes up close, fully demonstrating the care that the country places on Hong Kong.

"I hope that the delegation's visit to Hong Kong will make everyone feel like one family," he said.

At a news conference on Thursday afternoon, table tennis star Ma Long reminisced about the warm welcome he received from the government and residents of Hong Kong during his previous visits to the city.

"I feel lucky to share my stories during this event. This time, I hope to engage in more interactions with young people, which will be a special memory from my career," he said.

Swimming star Zhang Yufei, who won one silver and five bronze medals in Paris, said that she had visited Hong Kong several times before for competitions and felt quite familiar with the city. Speaking Cantonese, she shared with the media that she had enjoyed tasting Hong Kong-style shrimp dumplings and barbecue pork buns during previous visits.

Contact the writers at zhangyi1@chinadaily.com.cn