KUALA LUMPUR: China is awarding its table tennis gold medallist Chen Meng 6kg of gold and US$525,000 (RM2.32 million) in prize money, making her the highest-earning Chinese athlete at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
According to China Business Daily, Chen will receive this substantial bonus after winning two gold medals in the women's singles and women's team table tennis events. The majority of these rewards have been contributed by real estate tycoon Guo Bin, the husband of 2004 Athens Olympics gold medalist Wang Nan.
Before the women's singles final, Guo Bin posted on social media, promising 6 kg of gold to the winner. Chen, 30, went on to defeat her compatriot Sun Yingsha, securing gold in both the women's singles and women's team events at the last two Olympics.
Despite being the second seed at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Chen played exceptionally well to overcome the top-seeded Sun. Chen also claimed victory at the 2020 Table Tennis World Cup and finished as the runner-up twice at the 2019 and 2023 World Championships.
Guo Bin and Wang Nan are prominent figures in the Chinese table tennis community and have made significant investments in the sport. They established a training centre in Weihai City, Shandong Province, which is frequently used by the national table tennis team.
China became the first nation to sweep all five Olympic table tennis gold medals at the Paris Olympics, including women's singles, men's singles, mixed doubles, men's team, and women's team. The mixed doubles event was introduced at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where China suffered a surprising loss to Japan in the final.
In addition to Chen, three other table tennis athletes ranked among the top 10 Chinese athletes with the highest Olympic bonuses. Sun Yingsha and Wang Chuqin, who won gold in the mixed doubles event, are tied for second place with US$270,000 each, including 3kg of gold from Guo. Fan Zhendong ranks 10th with US$56,000 for his men's singles gold medal.
The fourth to ninth places are occupied by diver Chang Yani (US$105,000), swimmer Sun Jiajun (US$95,000), shooter Sheng Lihao, divers Chen Yiwen and Quan Hongchan (each with US$63,000), and artistic swimmers Xiao Yanning and Xiang Binxuan (each with US$61,500). These figures are not final, as Chinese athletes also receive bonuses from local authorities, with varying levels of rewards depending on the region. Additionally, they receive bonuses from anonymous individuals and enterprises.
Zhangzhou City in Fujian Province is one of the regions offering the highest rewards, pledging approximately US$168,000 to its Olympic champions.
China finished second at the 2024 Paris Olympics, with 40 gold medals, 27 silver medals, and 24 bronze medals. Although China matched the US in gold medals, they secured 16 fewer silver medals. This marks China's second-best Olympic performance, following the 48 gold medals won at the Beijing 2008 Olympics.