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China at the 2024 Paralympics: Golds, Champions, and Trending Moments
China’s standout moments, trending topics, and social media buzz from the 2024 Paralympics in Paris.
This article was first published by What’s on Weibo on
After China’s golden success at the 2024 Paris Olympics, it’s time for the Paralympics (残奥会) from 28 August 2024 – 8 September 2024. Although not as popular as the Olympics, the start of the Paralympics was still a popular topic on Chinese social media, with the topic hitting the top trending lists on August 28-29.
China has sent a delegation of 284 athletes—126 men and 158 women—to compete in 302 events across 19 sports. For 95 of these athletes, it’s their Paralympic debut.
This article is a ‘live file’ to track the various relevant hashtags and discussions on Chinese social media surrounding the events. If you don’t see any current updates, refresh the page or check back a day later to see new additions.
August 28
🔹 Celebrating the Start of the Paralympics
The opening ceremony of the 2024 Paralympics on August 28 took place at the Place de la Concorde, featuring 500 performers and a parade celebrating the 128 competing nations.
The Chinese delegation was led by two flag bearers: female wheelchair fencer Gu Haiyan (辜海燕) and male weightlifter Qi Yongkai (齐勇凯).
What particularly attracted attention on Chinese social media is how the renowned actor and martial arts hero Jackie Chan participated in the Paralympic torch relay (#成龙传递巴黎残奥会火炬#). He carried the Paralympic flame through the city, and also found some time to pose for selfies. People seemed to especially appreciate how popular Jackie Chan is, not just in China but also among fans abroad. This even made it to the number one trending topic on Chinese short video app Kuaishou.
August 29
🔹 China’s First Paralympic Gold
🥇 The first gold of the 2024 Paralympics for China was won by para-cyclist Li Zhangyu (李樟煜) in the Men’s 3000 m Pursuit. Beyond winning gold, he also broke a world record, smashing the previous record by crossing the line in a time of 3’31”338, 11 seconds faster than his compatriot Liang Weicong (梁伟聪), who finished with a time of 3’42”468 and took the silver medal.
For the 36-year-old Li, this marks his fifth Paralympic gold. He previously won the 3000m Individual Pursuit event at Rio 2016, and also earned a silver at London 2012 and a bronze at Tokyo 2020.
Chinese state media celebrating the first Paralympic gold.
Li Zhangyu was born in 1988 in Nanshan Village, Zhejiang. Diagnosed with cerebral palsy as a child, he had difficulty walking and often fell. To help him, his father bought him a small bicycle at the age of five or six. This marked the beginning of Li’s cycling journey, which would eventually lead him to become a historic Paralympic champion.
🔹 China’s Second Paralympic Gold
🥇 Wang Xiaomei (王小梅) became the second Paralympic athlete to win gold for China in the women’s C1-3 3000m individual pursuit.
The 24-year-old athlete from Yunnan’s Dali set a new world record in the women’s C3 3000m individual pursuit with a time of 3:44.660. In the final, where she claimed gold, she broke the world record again with a time of 3:41.692.
Wang Xiaomei has congenital cerebral palsy, which primarily affects the right side of her body. Cycling has significantly improved her physical condition. She is widely recognized as an inspiration for the way she has faced her challenges and persevered, which has led her to where she is today.
🔹 Two Swimming Gold
August 29 also marked the start of the swimming events, with 46 athletes from the Chinese team participating.
🥇🥇 Chinese swimmer Chen Yi (陈怡) secured gold in the women’s 50m freestyle S10, while Jiang Yuyan (蒋裕燕) claimed gold in the women’s 50m freestyle S6.
As a result, on the first day of the Paralympic events, the Chinese sports delegation earned a total of 4 gold medals and 1 silver medal.
August 30
🔹 Zhou Xia’s Three-Time Gold
🥇 Chinese para-athlete Zhou Xia (周霞) grabbed another gold for China on Friday. In the women’s T35 100m final, she claimed her medal with a season-best time of 13.58 seconds.
Zhou in Paris (left), Tokyo (middle) and Rio (right).
For Zhou, it’s her third Olympic success; she previously also grabbed gold in Rio and Tokyo. Zhou suffers from muscular atrophy in her left leg and left hand due to a car accident.
🔹 Yang Hong’s World Record
🥇 It seems that China is breaking many world records at this Paralympics. The 24-year-old Yang Hong (杨洪) clinched the gold medal in the Para Swimming Men’s 200m Individual Medley at the La Défense Arena in Paris.
August 31
🔹 China Going Strong: 20 Gold Medals on Day Three
On the third day of the Paralympics, Team China is going at full speed, as its gold medal count is already up to 20! This also includes a few athletes who grabbed gold on the 30th.
With 42 medals in total, China is topping the Olympic ranking.
September 1
🔹 “The Paralympics Are About the Limits of the Mind”
How does the general Chinese audience feel about the Paralympics? On Weibo and other platforms, the event is generally receiving less attention that the Olympics, also because it generally is less popular, with less commercial value.
Nevertheless, many people do follow the Paralympics and are impressed by the athletes. “The Olympics are about the limits of the body, the Paralympics are about the limits of the mind,” one Weibo user wrote.
Another Weibo blogger wrote: “The level of attention for the Paralympic events is still very low. It would be great if they could go trending a bit more. I bet many people don’t even know that the Paralympics take place after the Olympics. There’s only one gold medal for each event, but all those who participate in the Paralympic Games are heroes, winners, and champions in their own lives!”
September 2
🔹 From Small Village to Para Archery Gold
🥇 Zhang Tianxin (张天鑫), from a small village in Jiaxing, claimed gold in the Mixed Team W1 Para Archery event on September 2, alongside teammate Chen Minyi (陈敏仪). The pair defeated the Czech team. This victory comes shortly after Zhang also secured a bronze medal on September 1.
Having started archery in 2017, Zhang previously won gold at both the Tokyo Paralympics and the Hangzhou Asian Para Games.
On social media, his achievements are celebrated by Pinghu, the county-level city in Jiaxing where Zhang’s hometown, Shanqinggang village, is located. Pinghu also created a special film featuring Zhang, highlighting the strength of Para athletes.
September 4
🔹 The First gold for Henan: Wang Jingang
🥇 On September 4, Henan athlete Wang Jingang (王金刚) won the gold medal in the men’s 50m butterfly S6 final at the Paris Paralympics with a time of 31.24 seconds. This victory was celebrated on social media as it marked Henan’s first Paralympic gold. Henan is not typically among the top-performing provinces in the Olympics.
Wang Jingang (王金刚) taking the first Paralympic gold for Henan. Image via Zhengzhou Weibo account @郑州发布.
At the Paris Olympics, Chinese athletes from Guangdong Province won the most medals, followed by those from Shanghai, Shandong, Zhejiang, and Jiangsu.
It’s notable that during the Paralympics, even more than the Olympics, athletes’ hometowns are enthusiastically celebrating their Paris medals. Their achievements are viewed not just as national victories, but as local triumphs, bringing pride and joy to their communities.
This is evident in places like Henan, celebrating Wang Jingang, and Pinghu, honoring Zhang Tianxin, among many others. Rather than being solely seen as national heroes, these Para athletes are embraced as regional champions.
🔹 Who is four-time Paralympic champion Jiang Yuyan?
🥇 Jiang Yuyan (蒋裕燕) is one of the most discussed and popular Paralympic champions in China these days. She is also nicknamed the “Flying Fish with Broken Wings” (折翼飞鱼).
The Zhejiang-born athlete first claimed gold in Para Swimming in the women’s 50m freestyle, then went on to win another gold in the 50m butterfly. She added a third gold in the mixed event and secured a fourth on September 4th in the women’s 100m freestyle.
Jiang celebrated by Chinese official accounts.
Jiang began her professional athletic career in 2017, competing in national para events as part of the provincial team. She reportedly trains for at least six hours a day, with a key focus on maintaining balance, as she is missing her right arm and right leg.
As a preschooler, Jiang was involved in a car accident that resulted in the loss of her right hand and leg. To prevent muscle atrophy and aid her recovery, her mother enrolled her in a summer swimming class.
From the moment she entered the water, Jiang fell in love with swimming. She told reporters: “Fish have a tail, and I have a leg. In the water, I can enjoy freedom.”
September 5
🔹 Blind Soccer
While everyone’s focused on China’s national soccer team losing 0-7 to Japan in the 2026 World Cup Asian qualifiers, there’s a more successful story in Chinese soccer. China’s Blind Soccer team triumphed 1-0 against Morocco at the Paralympics, a victory that continues to be celebrated online despite the national team’s loss to Japan.
September 6
🔹 China’s Paralympic Success
With two days left before the end of the Paralympics, China is far ahead in the medal rankings with 186 medals, including 82 gold. The UK, in second place, lags behind with 100 medals, of which 42 are gold.
For both the Olympics and Paralympics, much of China’s sports success is often viewed by looking back at how far the country has come since it first participated in 1984.
In the Paralympics, China’s winning streak has continued since 2012, when Team China first took the top position.
Although China has seen great success in the Paralympics, and much like the Olympics, this success is tied to its rise on the global stage. However, it hasn’t led to more discussion on systemic issues around disability. The focus remains more on individuals overcoming challenges rather than addressing broader issues.[1]
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By Manya Koetse
[1] Also see: Liu Yang & Zhongxuan Lin (2023) The national hero, the supercrip, and the self-reliant figure: Paralympic champions on China Central Television’s sports channel, Sport in Society, 26:9, 1477-1491, DOI: 10.1080/17430437.2022.2147064
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©2024 Whatsonweibo. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce our content without permission – you can contact us at info@whatsonweibo.com.
🔥 Quick Take: Trending in China – Week 17
This is a brief update from our curated roundup of what’s trending in China this week. A version of this story also appears in the Weibo Watch newsletter. Subscribe to stay in the loop.
It has already been over seven weeks since the Suzhou Marathon took place, but it was trending again today in light of a statement that has come out regarding a particular situation.
During the March 2nd Suzhou Marathon, which had over 25,000 participants, images and videos went viral showing how some runners stopped to take a toilet break and urinated against the main sign of the Jiangsu Suzhou Experimental Middle School (江苏省苏州实验中学).
At the time, the Suzhou Marathon soon released an official statement denouncing the “uncivilized” behavior of the runners.
Other images showed that there were portable toilets set up along the route, but even there, there were runners urinating in public.
Portable toilets along the route.
Runner urinating behind the portable toilets.
On April 24, the Chinese Athletics Association (中国田径协会, CAA), the national governing body for athletics in China, issued a statement saying that, according to the association’s disciplinary regulations, ten participants who urinated against the school sign have been banned from participating in any marathon affiliated with the CAA for the next three years, until March 1, 2028.
The Chinese Athletics Association further stated that they have decided to revoke Suzhou Marathon’s eligibility to apply for event certification in 2026.
Although most online commenters agree that the runners should be punished for their behavior, some also note that it seems “unfair” that Suzhou Marathon also cannot apply for organizing its 2026 marathon:
💬 “(..) because of the uncivilized behavior of just 10 people, Suzhou Marathon’s eligibility to apply for certification from the Chinese Athletics Association in 2026 was directly cancelled. Isn’t this kind of penalty a bit unfair to Suzhou? After all, just 20 meters away from where those people were peeing, there were many portable toilets set up.”
Just around the corner from where the runners urinated in public, there were plenty of portable toilets set up.
Where they peed against the wall, and the toilets nearby.
The punishment for the Suzhou Marathon seems to be a classic case of “killing the chicken to scare the monkey” (杀鸡儆猴): a drastic measure that sends a clear message to other marathons. Not only should they provide plenty of portable toilets, but they must also enforce measures or assign staff to ensure that another “pissing gate” doesn’t happen in the future.
By Manya Koetse with contributions by Miranda Barnes
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Do You Know Who Li Gang Is? Anti-Corruption Official Arrested for Corruption
What? Another Li Gang?!
Do you know who Li Gang is? On April 22, 2025, it is the name that is top trending on Chinese social media platforms Weibo, Douyin, and Kuaishou, following the news that Li Gang was arrested (#李刚被逮捕#) and suspected of accepting bribes.
Li Gang is the former head of the Discipline Inspection and Supervision Office (纪检监察组) at the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) and the National Supervisory Commission (NSC). The CCDI (中央纪委) is China’s top internal Party watchdog, while the NSC (国家监委) is the anti-corruption agency at the state level. Together, they form the most powerful Party-state anti-corruption force in the country.
The 59-year-old Li Gang is — or rather, was — an experienced Party member and senior investigator who led the team at the Central Organization Department.
Of course, there is great irony in the fact that the very person whose job it was to act as an internal watchdog overseeing and investigating corruption among officials is now accused of accepting bribes himself. According to China Daily, Li associated with political fraudsters and resisted organizational investigations. He accepted banquets that compromised the impartial execution of his duties, illegally took money and goods, and abused his position for personal gain and to benefit others in various ways.
Li, born and raised in Sichuan Province, joined the Communist Party in 1986. Over the years, he held various positions, including Deputy Party Secretary of his native Dazhu County, Party Secretary of Zigong city, and Vice Governor of Sichuan Province. In 2023, he was appointed head of the Discipline Inspection and Supervision Office at the Central Organization Department.
Many commenters on social media call Li Gang a “traitor” or “mole” (内鬼 nèiguǐ). One Weibo blogger (@张胜军), along with one commenter (@第一球迷胖哥), wrote:
💬 “This is truly a case of breaking the law while enforcing it (执法犯法), like a thief crying ‘stop the thief’ (贼喊捉贼), and they got caught in the end.”
💬 “The case of Li Gang exposes the problem of how some officials have lost their ideals and are just hungry for power. Public opinion is calling for systematic limitations to leave less room for corruption, and to strengthen the normalization of oversight for the ‘key minority’ [the power elite].”
Besides the comments pointing out the irony of Li being caught for bribery given his position, and those calling him a disgrace to Sichuan Province, many netizens are also noting the familiarity of his name.
For many Chinese, the name Li Gang—especially in connection with power abuse—brings to mind another official associated with the famous online meme “My Dad is Li Gang.”
In October 2010, 22-year-old Li Qiming (李启铭), while driving under the influence, hit two female college students at Hebei University, killing one and seriously injuring the other. After fleeing the scene, he was arrested and infamously said: “Sue me if you dare! My dad is Li Gang!” His father, also named Li Gang, was the deputy director of the local public security bureau in Baoding.
Despite efforts by authorities to suppress the story at the time, “My Dad is Li Gang” (“我爸是李刚”) quickly went viral, becoming a nationwide meme. The phrase inspired widespread online creativity, including a contest encouraging netizens to incorporate the quote into classical Chinese poetry—drawing thousands of humorous and satirical entries.
The humor extended offline as well. Road safety signs in Guangxi read: “Dear friends, drive slowly. Your father is not Li Gang” (“朋友，开慢点, 你爸不是李刚”). Car stickers appeared with slogans like: “Don’t touch me, my dad is Li Gang” (“别碰我，我爸是李刚”).
Li Qiming was eventually sentenced to six years in prison for the accident, but the phrase “My Dad is Li Gang” lived on as a meme to expose and mock abuses of power.
The other Li Gang tearfully apologizing for his son’s actions back in 2014.
The sentence resurfaced in June 2014, when the phrase “Do you know who my dad is?” (你知道我爸是谁啊) became a trending topic on Weibo. This followed an incident during the college entrance exams in Fuxin, where a student arrived at school in a BMW and was caught cheating on his phone. When confronted by a teacher, he attacked her, shouting: “Do you know who my dad is? You still dare to check me?”
That moment also drew comparisons to the Li Gang meme. The phrase “Do you know who my dad is?” reflects the attitude of a group often labeled as fù’èr dài (富二代, “Second-Generation Rich”) and guān’èr dài (官二代, “Second-Generation Officials”)—those who believe they are untouchable due to their parents’ status. This attitude is closely tied to fraud, corruption, and power abuse—not just by the children themselves, but by their parents as well.
The current Li Gang incident brings everything together for many people, though it has also led to some confusion: “Which Li Gang is this? Is this the Li Gang from ‘My Dad is Li Gang’?” The current Li Gang is actually much higher in position than the one from 2010.
“Again, another Li Gang,” some say. “Another corrupt official.”
Although the name Li Gang itself may not be so special—many people have an uncle or neighbor with the same name—the current trending Li Gang news story now inevitably links the name with power abuse, entitlement, and corruption, but also with the idea that eventually, those who do wrong will be punished.
As of On April 7, 2025, Li has been expelled from the Communist Party and dismissed from public office. His case has now been transferred to the procuratorate for review and prosecution.
By Manya Koetse
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