Made-in-China products shine at Paris Olympics

Hou Zhihui of China competes during the women's 49kg of weightlifting at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, Aug. 7, 2024. (Xinhua/Fei Maohua)

Along with Team China, many Chinese enterprises are shining at the Paris Olympic Games. Chinese made sports equipment and Olympic souvenirs are everywhere, showcasing China’s manufacturing and technological prowess.

For this year’s Olympics, weightlifting equipment, including the weightlifting platforms and barbells, were all made by Hebei Zhangkong Barbell Manufacturing Co., Ltd. in north China’s Hebei Province. The company was also a supplier for the Beijing, Rio, and Tokyo Games.

Zhangkong Barbell has independently developed the technology to produce barbell plates in one-time molding, ensuring that the weight error of barbell plates is less than 0.5 per thousand. They also pioneered a 45-degree knurling design on the barbell shaft, making it safer for athletes. Many parameters of their products exceed the standards set by the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF).

According to Zhang Zhiguo, general manager of the company, the IWF standard requires a weight error not heavier than 25 grams and not lighter than 12.5 grams for a 25-kilogram barbell plate, but the company has controlled the weight error of all its barbell plates within 5 grams.

Shoes for the Chinese weightlifting team during this year’s Olympics have also been upgraded to increase pressure resistance and stability. A pair of 1.2-kilogram weightlifting shoes can withstand more than 1000 kilograms of pressure.

“This year, we have once again improved some technical indicators of weightlifting shoes, and added carbon plates, increasing the upward propulsion force by nearly 50 percent on the basis of the original stability factor," said Li Ling, vice president of Chinese sportswear brand Anta Group.

Yan Zheng (L) of China and Theresa Marie Steinlein of Germany compete during the women's windsurfing quarterfinal of sailing at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Marseille, France, Aug. 3, 2024. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong)

At the Paris Olympics, windsurfing made its debut as an Olympic event. The windsurfing boards used by all athletes competing in the event were made by a company in Jingzhou city, central China’s Hubei Province.

The company’s boards are made of environmentally friendly materials. The company also independently developed the 3D scanning and inspection equipment to improve product accuracy, and deployed grinding robots to polish the boards.

In addition to sporting equipment, there are also many “Made in China” products among the Paris Olympics’ merchandise. According to the Paris Olympics Organizing Committee, 80 percent of the mascots for this year’s Olympics were manufactured by Chinese companies.