Chinese shooting pairs gain widespread love beyond gold medals

On the first day after the Paris Olympics' opening ceremony, Chinese shooting pair Huang Yuting and Sheng Lihao ignited Chinese social media not only because of the first gold medal they won for Team China in the 10-meter air rifle mixed team match but also because of their personalities and social media usernames.

After defeating their South Korean counterparts Keum Ji-hyeon and Park Ha-jun in the 10-meter air rifle mixed team match, Huang and Sheng were congratulated by many Chinese netizens. Sheng, whose Weibo user name is "only by eating", quickly sparked widespread attention, as this online nickname paired with the words "duoguan" (win the championship) in Chinese turns into "Winning the championship just by eating."

However, Sheng never expected such a coincidence. He said that this username was something he "came up with casually," and he reassured concerned netizens that he would "take good care of himself." This kind of "Versailles" humor reveals a sense of wit and attracts the audience, according to Xinhua News Agency.

Netizens also discovered that Huang always carries cute plush toys with her, and her social media pictures often feature cute dogs. While Sheng often appears cool, he is known to be rather  playful on occasion and netizens seem to appreciate the transparency, uniqueness and authenticity that perspire through their favorite athletes' online accounts. 

Huang, making her Olympic debut, is only 17 years old, while Sheng, competing in his second Olympics, is just 19 years old. "Young athletes should have their own personalities. I like their relaxed attitude," a netizen remarked.

According to Xinhua, although the two athletes have their own hobbies and interests off the field, they show remarkable calmness and composure during competitions. In the past, they have jointly won world championships, World Cups, and Asian Games titles. Huang was a triple champion at the Hangzhou Asian Games, while Sheng won a silver medal in the men's 10-meter air rifle individuals at the Tokyo Olympics at the age of 17.

After winning the championship at the Paris Olympics, they still appear calm and relaxed. "We achieved this result just by sticking to what we should do," Sheng said when receiving an interview from CCTV. Huang also explained that this championship was just a result of a long processof training and it provided her with a lot of experience to block out external noise and stay determined.

"Shooting is a psychologically driven sport. Compared to other sports, athletes need to maintain focus without becoming overly excited," Bi Xiaoting, a sports psychology expert said to China Youth Daily.

She noted that for athletes that have maintained professional training and possess good psychological qualities, the pressure of winning the first gold medal may not be as great as the outside world imagines. "Especially the younger generation of athletes, who have stronger autonomy and resilience, and who actively use sports psychology to improve their competitive state, often find creative solutions to problems," Bi said.

However, she also warned that external interference could still affect the athletes' long-term growth. While focusing on the first gold medal can increase attention, she hopes that the public will focus more on the athletes' personal charm and hard work, and "notice the uniqueness of each person."

According to China Youth Daily, Wang Lian, deputy director of the Shooting and Archery Management Center of the General Administration of Sport of China, said that athletes of every generation carry responsibility for their era.

"Our perception of Olympic gold medals has changed significantly from decades ago. The confidence and openness of today's Chinese shooters have also been brought about by the new era," Wang said.