Macao warmly welcomes Olympians

A delegation of Chinese mainland athletes who stood out at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games is participating in a three-day exchange with residents of Macao and was warmly welcomed by the local community.

After concluding their itinerary in Hong Kong, the Olympians, including 59 gold medalists, arrived in Macao on Saturday afternoon via a bus journey across the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge.

During a welcoming ceremony on Saturday, Ho Iat-seng, chief executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region, expressed gratitude to the central government for arranging the visit of the Olympians to Macao, allowing residents to experience the charm of the Olympic athletes up close.

Ho said that during the Paris Olympics, the people of Macao closely followed the outstanding performances of the national team's athletes on the field and in the pool, feeling proud of and honored by every achievement they made.

The visit of the delegation to Macao, where the athletes shared the joy of victory and the glory of the prosperous motherland, reignited the Olympic fervor among Macao residents and sparked patriotic enthusiasm and national pride across various sectors of society, Ho said.

He also said that he anticipated that continued efforts from all sectors of society will promote the deep integration of the Macao SAR's sports with national sports.

On Sunday morning, a dialogue was held at the Macao Olympic Sports Center between the national Olympic athletes and young athletes from Macao.

When asked about his aspirations, swimming star Pan Zhanle said he hopes to surpass his own record in the men's 100-meter freestyle event and push the limits of human performance in the sport.

At the Paris Olympics, Pan broke his own world record with a time of 46.40 seconds, clinching the gold medal.

Breaststroke world champion Qin Haiyang said it brought him joy to make new friends through the trip, and he felt that all the people are like one family.

Chan Wen-gian, who teaches fourth grade in Macao, said she admired divers Quan Hongchan and Chen Yiwen very much, as both are from her hometown province of Guangdong.

"I plan to share with my students the photos and videos of the athletes that I took, to enhance their knowledge of the Olympics," she said.

On Sunday afternoon, the delegation visited iconic landmarks in Macao and participated in a gala event in the evening. On Monday, the athletes are scheduled to visit neighborhoods in Macao before concluding their trip in the afternoon.