Taiwanese Celebrate First Olympic Gold

Taiwanese are celebrating with fanfare their first gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Lee Yang and Wang Chi-lin won first place in badminton men’s doubles, beating China’s Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang 21-17, 18-21, 21-19 at the Porte de La Chapelle arena in a gripping final.

President Lai, who also goes by the English name William, congratulated the badminton duo on social media for representing “Team Taiwan.” “Your teamwork & perseverance led to this thrilling victory, a moment of pride for all Taiwan!,” he wrote.

The Taiwanese pair, who won gold in Tokyo and are childhood friends, fell to the floor screaming when they won an emotionally charged match at which spectators chanted “Taiwan,” although they compete as Chinese Taipei at the Olympics to avoid objections from China, which claims the island as its own territory.

Lee threw his racket in the air as the pair received a standing ovation from the euphoric Taiwanese supporters. “I think last time in Tokyo not a lot of people knew us, but this time people recognized us,” Lee said, adding that he kissed the court at the end of the match to say goodbye to the sport as he plans to retire.

“The past three years we didn’t play well and we heard some people say they didn’t want us to represent Chinese Taipei. I’m very happy our efforts were seen by everyone.”

Taiwan’s athletes have racked up medals in badminton, skeet shooting, gymnastics and boxing. The victory promptly reignited the geopolitical fervor over Taiwanese identity and self-determination, even down to the way excited fans were allowed to celebrate.

After Sunday’s victory, Taiwan fans were basking in the gold. “I was extremely excited,” said Lai Tse-yi, a 32-year-old actor in Taipei, who watched the competition from home with his roommate. “Thank you to Taiwan’s athletes for making the world see Taiwan.”

Another 1,000 supporters gathered for a screening of the match in Taipei’s largest train station. “Winning the championship feels great, and beating China feels even better,” said Chen Hsien-yi, a 35-year-old film and television producer in Taipei who watched the match by himself at home.

The Olympics have always been a politically sensitive issue for Taiwan, and this year’s Paris Games have been no exception. International sports enthusiasts described the feat as  a particularly sensitive victory since China claims Taiwan as part of its territory, even though the Communist Party has never ruled it and many Taiwanese citizens reject the assertion that the island is subject to Chinese control.

China’s claim over Taiwan largely shuts the island of 23 million people out of most international events and organizations, including the United Nations and the World Health Organization. The Olympic Games is no exception. Taiwan competes under the name Chinese Taipei with a specialized flag featuring the Olympic rings in place of the Taiwanese flag