National elite athletes share their experience of the Rio 2016 Olympics during an exchange session with Macao’s young locals.
Chinese Olympic athletes shared with young local people – during face-to-face meetings in Macao today – memories of Olympic glory and stories of the perseverance that led them to success at the Rio 2016 Olympics. The 64-member Rio Olympics Mainland Olympian Delegation met approximately 1,500 young local people, during a morning sharing session at the Macau Forum events venue. During the session, eight medal-winning athletes were invited to the stage to share their experience of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. They were: Ms Zhang Mengxue (Air Pistol); Ms Zhu Ting (Volleyball); Ms Hui Ruoqi (Volleyball); Ms Ding Ning (Table Tennis); Ms Ren Qian (Diving); Mr Zhao Shuai (Taekwondo); Mr Long Quinquan (Weightlifting); and Ms Fu Yuanhui (Swimming). Following the session, the Delegation toured the Ruins of St. Paul's and the Mount Fortress. The two places are part of the Historic Centre of Macao, which in turn is designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. During a tour additionally of the Macao Museum, the guests were given further information about the history of the city. In the evening, the guests attended a variety show at the Macao East Asia Games Dome. The celebratory gathering included performances by star singers of Cantonese pop music, an open dialogue session and interactive games. Tomorrow morning (Wednesday, 31 August), the Delegation will divide into groups in order to visit a total of six local community centres and social services centres, and share their Olympic joy with local senior citizens and young people. On Wednesday afternoon, the athletes will take part in another experience-sharing session – this time with young Macao athletes and local students – at Tap Seac Multisport Pavilion. The session will include performances and skill demonstrations by the athletes, and interactive games between the guests and Macao’s young athletes and students. The Delegation arrived in Macao on Monday, on a four-day visit. The Delegation will leave the city for Beijing on the morning of 1 September. The Delegation comprises 45 elite athletes representing the Chinese national team that competed at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games; five coaches from different sport events; and officials from the General Administration of Sport of China.