Beijing (CNN)For a nation known for its obsession for gold, Team China seemed to have had a rough time in Rio de Janeiro.
The country came in third place in the gold medal count at the 2016 Summer Games, trailing the United States and Great Britain. Eight years ago in Beijing, China sat on top with a record 51 gold medals.
Now, analysts and spectators are debating if China has moved beyond its single-minded determination in winning gold.
Some see a diminishing role for sports as an outlet for nationalism, thanks to China"s economic and military ascent on the global stage. Others consider swimmer Fu Yuanhui"s instant popularity a sign of a demographic shift in Olympic viewing, as younger generations focus more on personalities than results.
But if one looks at the hardware, there is no denying that China came up short.
"We agree that winning gold is not the only benchmark, but we also recognize the Olympic motto is faster, higher and stronger after all," said Liu Peng, China"s sports minister, in Rio on Saturday.
A slow start
China began its quest at the Games without winning gold on day one.
Soon came some unexpected flops in fields that China usually excels in: diving, gymnastics and swimming.
Economists at Goldman Sachs had predicted China would take home 89 medals, including 36 gold, to take second place in the medal table in Rio.
When the Olympic flame extinguished Sunday night, the final count of 70 in total with 26 gold made the widely reported forecast look way too sanguine.
Still, there were enough victories to celebrate, according to Liu, China"s top sports official.
He pointed to the issue of succession in many sports but stressed that, while Rio was the first Olympics for more than 70% of Team China members, 13 first-timers struck gold. He also applauded Fu"s viral remarks as a sign of increasingly relaxed and confident Chinese athletes.
"We underestimated the challenges and difficulties we would face at the Rio Olympics," Liu said. "We are behind in studying new ideas and trends in the fast-developing world of competitive sports along with their training and management."
"Our Rio mission was basically accomplished," he added.
Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/21/asia/china-olympics-performance/index.html
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