China views the number of gold medals as its measure of success and the fact that it has not only exceeded its own expectations but also dominated the gold tally so conclusively gives rise to much debate about how this achievement was made and what are the future implications of this outstanding result for sport in China.

A reflection of progress

Dou Hanzhang (Nanhu Evening News): In the past, to top the gold medal tally seemed a dream for China, but now it has come true.

This is not an "overnight miracle," but the result of China's great development achievements in the past decades.

The 1932 Olympics only saw one Chinese participant in the Games. In 2008 the Chinese delegation had 639 athletes, outnumbering any other delegation. Once upon a time, China did not have enough money to pay for the journey of its athletes to the Olympics, yet today China has successfully hosted the Olympic Games. Once, it seemed that Olympic gold medals would never come to a Chinese athlete, and now the Chinese delegation has harvested 51 gold medals at one Games.

Chinese athletes' performance has always kept pace with the country's social and economic development. At the Atlanta Olympics in 1996, China ranked fourth on the gold medal tally with 16, and in Sydney, China ranked third with 28 golds. In Athens, China ranked second with a record 32 golds.

China's rapid economic growth makes it possible for the country to invest more financial resources in sports and for the public to pay more attention to health. People now have the desire to take part in sports and fitness activities and also have the money to do so.

Today, the elderly are found practicing shadow boxing and dancing in parks, squares and residential communities, while the young are found playing basketball and doing hip hop dancing. Swimming pools, football fields, and gymnasiums are always full. Chinese people's zeal for sports is evident. Commercials on sports products are seen on TV and in street advertising. Sports are now popular with the Chinese and this is the basis for China winning more gold medals.

Gold medals can't speak for all, but to some extent, it does reflect the Chinese enthusiasm for sports, the improvement of people's health and the country's comprehensive strength.

Yang Yuze (China Youth Daily): Some people argue that gold medals are not everything, so people should not overestimate the impact of the medals. However, athletes and their coaches have worked hard to win the medals. If we really do not value gold medals, then please stop investing in sports. It's unreasonable to play down the significance of gold medals while inputting a lot.