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Mainland Olympic stars wow fans amid roaring cheers

2024-08-31 HKT 12:58
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National team Olympians on Saturday entertained cheering crowds in Hong Kong by putting on spectacular sporting displays, as the delegation of 65 mainland athletes wrapped up their three-day visit to the territory.

Divers and swimmers headed to Victoria Park swimming pool, with synchronised swimming twins Wang Liuyi and Wang Qianyi kicking off the ticket-only demonstrations.

Among those taking a dive into the pool was fan favourite Quan Hongchan, who received roaring cheers. The 17-year-old won the women's individual and synchronised 10m platform competitions at the Paris Olympics.

Quan, who brought along her famous collection of turtle toys, introduced herself to the audience in Cantonese and ended the post-demonstration interview with a signature blessing: " Kung hei fat choy!"

Fellow diver Chen Yiwen, who won two golds at the Paris Olympics, also climbed the steps to the springboard.

"It is interesting to be able to showcase diving in such way. It's not as serious as in competitions," Chen said. "We perform in an entertaining way, and we also interact with everyone."

The demonstrations at the pool later turned cheeky with a series of wacky dives and fun leaps.

At Queen Elizabeth Stadium in Wan Chai, athletes from land-based disciplines wowed spectators with showcases of gymnastics, badminton and table tennis, among others.

Badminton mixed doubles champions Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong demonstrated some techniques alongside women's doubles duo Chen Qingchen and Jia Yifan, with the latter pair also trading partners with the SAR's Lianne Yeung and Yeung Pui-lam for a showdown.

To add some more fun, Sheng Lihao, who won in the men's 10m air rifle in Paris, also took a shot in badminton.

The national team's clean sweep of gold medals in table tennis did not go unnoticed at the stadium amid loud applause from the stands.

A lucky spectator was picked to play against ping pong legend Ma Long, with women's singles champion Chen Meng guiding her, hand in hand.

The crowd also caught a glimpse of the breakdancing scene from bronze medallist Liu Qingyi, also known as "671".

Rounding up the demonstrations in Wan Chai was a video speech from Hong Kong's sole two-time Olympic gold medallist, Edgar Cheung.

"To be able to appreciate the grace of so many world number ones at such a close distance is really a rare thing. It's pity that I am not in Hong Kong, so I can't be here in person to participate in this event," Cheung said.

Saturday's events marked the end of a visit by the national team to Hong Kong, which next heads to neighbouring Macau.

Mainland Olympic stars wow fans amid roaring cheers