Displays of athletic and fashion prowess
With most of the athletes taking part born after the turn of the new millennium, the Chinese delegation at the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics demonstrates an openness to express their individual personalities.
When Yang Qian pulled the trigger and won her and the China team's first gold medal in the women's 10m air rifle competition at the Tokyo Olympic Games, the 21-year-old university student's neatly polished and heavily decorated nails also ignited passion among millions of netizens on Chinese social media networking platforms.
People were posting messages on the Internet with excitement.
"Oh my God, I can't stop staring at her nails!"
"The pinker the nails are, the more accurate the shooting would be."
"Anywhere in Beijing I can get the same manicure?"
Fashion- and image-conscious, young Chinese athletes, especially those in Generation Z born after 1995, are totally different from their elders, who were often stereotyped as highly self-disciplined, subordinate and homogenous.
Weightlifter Hou Zhihui has a head of "explosive hair."
Growing up in a diverse world, tightly connected to the Internet with easy access to technology, the country's Gen-Z sportsmen and sportswomen of today are braver and freer to express their individual personalities.
Weightlifter Hou Zhihui, who won the gold medal in the 49kg women's weightlifting competition, was proud of her "explosive head," a thick and luxuriant hairstyle that was nicknamed "Monchhichi" (a cute, sweet image of a monkey doll) by Chinese netizens.
Hou posted a photo on Weibo (microblog) after she won the medal, jokingly worried but apparently jaunty.
"Seeing the picture in 2019, am I getting bald now?" she asked.
Table tennis player Liu Shiwen's shining blue nails were so eye-catching, they were also among the hottest topics on the Internet.
"Wow, I can finally share something in common with a world champion," people commented on Liu's Weibo.
Table tennis player Liu Shiwen's blue nails catch the eyes of the world.
Ge Manqi, 24, China's new hope in women's sprinting, dashed along the track with her hair up in two lovely buns. In a China red sports suit, she looked just like Nezha, a teen boy in Chinese mythology with unique powers, who wears his hair wrapped in two warrior's buns and runs the wheels of wind and fire on his feet.
"I want to show a cute, energetic me to the world audience," Ge said in an interview after the match. "China's track and field could be better, and I hope more people can follow and join us."
Badminton player Li Junhui cut his T-shirt's sleeves off for the men's doubles final, probably to move his arms around more quickly, but this unintentional tailoring made a unique fashion statement on the court.
Ge Manqi, 24, dashed along the track with her hair up in two lovely buns, just like Nezha, a teen boy in Chinese mythology with unique powers.
Chinese athletes' fashion styles are sweeping across the country, evidenced by soaring sales of "same-style" products.
Yang Qian's yellow duck hairpin and carrot hair ring became best sellers on Taobao. The latest statistics reveal the world's biggest center of small commodities – Yiwu Market in Zhejiang Province – has sold six duck hairpins every second during the Olympics.
A wide range of peripheral products, such as T-shirts, cups, pillows and phone cases, are coming to market at warp speed. A T-shirt printed with table tennis player Ma Long's exclamation "He can't beat me!" in the men's singles semifinals appeared in the online shop in only seven hours, while mugs printed with medalist Chen Meng's "It's my time to rule" have been among the most searched for products.
Facial masks required during the Olympics are another fashion item in Tokyo – perhaps the most distinct reminder of the virus' global impact. Instead of choosing drab, blue medical masks, many countries have coordinated face coverings with their racy wardrobes. An unofficial ranking by a foreign media outlet of the best and worst masks at the Tokyo Olympics has recently been released.
China's masks scored the highest: 9 out of 10. The color matches the uniforms while being a standalone accessory with a simple design. The best touch might be the slow, smooth fade from red to yellow, the colors of the Chinese flag. It then leads to a small flag with the Olympic rings sitting below. There are two goals when it comes to a mask: look good and let people know what country you're representing. Clearly, China achieves both.
Copycats quickly became the hottest item on various shopping websites with stunning sales volumes.
Warning! These masks are all fake. The mask producer Polay Pharmaceuticals issued a statement last week that the masks are only for China's Olympic delegation, and they are not sold through any online shopping channels.
Chinese athletes are competing hard, while displaying their individual personalities with what they wear and how they look. They are more assertive and relaxed as they enjoy the games, reflected in the words of gymnast Xiao Ruoteng.
"I think I've shown my happy, healthy mindset during the games. Of course I regret not winning a gold medal, but I'm so surprised to see the Chinese audience being so supportive, tolerant and comforting. I like it," Xiao said.
Gymnast Xiao Ruoteng keeps his neatly polished hair even on the rings.
