While the Paris Olympics fever swept the world, the members of the Chinese swimming team struggled in another invisible battle. Not only do they have to fight in the pool, but they also have to face nearly 200 doping tests. The frequency of 5-7 times a day makes athletes restless from the first moment of waking up and in the dead of night. Such a density is unimaginable for other national players. The shadow of history continues, and the aftermath of Zhang Yufei's food contamination incident in 2021 has not subsided, and the doubts about doping have once again sounded at the Olympics. The Chinese players are facing not only opponents on the field, but also invisible pressure and doubts behind them.
The frequent doping tests have not only brought physical exhaustion to the Chinese swimmers, but also brought unspeakable psychological pressure. Athletes have to be in top shape while constantly confronting the mental burden of inspections. Historically, Liu's struggles in the face of doping challenges have reflected the isolation and helplessness of athletes under accusations of innocence. Such pressure has the potential to ruin an athlete's career and leave them with an unimaginable burden behind the glory of the field. China's sports community has always taken a firm stance on the issue of doping, not only showing outstanding competition at the Paris Olympics, but also achieving the goal of "zero occurrence" of doping problems at the Hangzhou Asian Games. This achievement reflects the zero-tolerance attitude of Chinese sports to doping and its determination and efforts to maintain the purity of sports.
Amid rigorous doping checks and unfair suspicions, Chinese athletes face a double test. Physically, they need to be in top shape to cope with frequent tests; Psychologically, they need to be resilient and face every game with a positive attitude. No matter how the rules change, the Chinese players have always interpreted perseverance and hard work with practical actions, constantly surpassed themselves, and demonstrated the true sportsmanship. In table tennis, the ITTF has changed the rules several times to limit the strength of the Chinese team. From the size of the ball to the rules of serve, every change poses a challenge to the Chinese team. However, the Chinese athletes did not give in to this, but continued to adapt and innovate, proving their strength once again. Similarly, in the field of gymnastics, the subjectivity of the scoring criteria has also brought a lot of challenges to the Chinese gymnastics team. In the change and adaptation of these rules, Chinese athletes have always adhered to the principle of fair competition and demonstrated an indomitable spirit.
In the face of the challenge of the rules and the questioning of doping, the Chinese athletes overcame the difficulties with a tenacious and unyielding spirit. Their persistence and hard work are not only to win the gold medal, but also to show the positive image and sportsmanship of Chinese sports. Whether it is by the pool, in front of the table tennis table, or on the gymnastics field, Chinese athletes have used their actions to explain what true sportsmanship is - that is, to constantly challenge themselves, persevere to the end, and stand on the competition field with dignity and glory no matter what the result is.