Since the founding of People’s Republic of China (PRC), competitive sportsmen in China have made great efforts, constantly surpassed and courageously climbed the peak, and made remarkable achievements, making important contributions to the national sports cause and socialist construction and development. The development of competitive sports is closely related to the national economic and social development, and is in the same direction and synchronous with the development process of the Chinese nation from "standing up" to "getting rich" to "getting strong". The outstanding achievements of competitive sports also highlight the great achievements of socialist modernization, and reflect the strong vitality and vitality of the development path of sports with China characteristics.
First, the development process
(a) the initial stage of development (1949-1978).After the founding of New China, facing the situation at home and abroad, how to quickly improve the level of competitive sports to meet the needs of international exchanges has become an important task. Combined with the national conditions at that time, China’s sports industry established the strategy of "combining popularization with improvement". Since participating in the 15th Helsinki Olympic Games in 1952, China’s competitive sports have gradually emerged. The first National Games in 1959 brought new development opportunities for competitive sports, and competitive sports have made great progress in the achievements of domestic and international competitions and the training of outstanding athletes. However, the ten-year turmoil has seriously hindered the development of sports in China. Under the guidance of the strategic policy of "shortening the front and ensuring the key points", the limited social resources have been applied to key areas to ensure the local development and catch-up of competitive sports.
(2) The stage of steady development (1979-1992).Since China resumed its legal seat in the International Olympic Committee in 1979, the main task of competitive sports has been to "climb the peak bravely and win glory for the country", and to achieve excellent results in international competitions under the promotion of "priority development strategy" and cultivate excellent athletes for the country. Under the guidance of the spirit of the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, China’s competitive sports have actively explored the reform of system and mechanism, and the reform of competitive sports management system, competition training system and talent training system has been launched in an all-round way. With the promotion and guarantee of the national system, competitive sports have achieved steady growth of their own strength.
(3) Rapid breakthrough stage (1993-2008).After 1992, China’s competitive sports showed the trend of professionalization and marketization, and the development and perfection of socialist market economy further injected new vitality into competitive sports. Taking the reform of football as a breakthrough, the reform and development of competitive sports in China has been deepening. The main task of competitive sports at this stage is to absorb the achievements of professional reform, vigorously improve the scientific, systematic and international level of competitive sports, implement the outline of Olympic glory plan, and obtain the results of international competitions with the help of "Olympic strategy". In the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, we achieved the goal of ranking first in the world in gold medals and medals, enhanced the comprehensive strength of competitive sports, shaped a good international image, and made a historic leap in the international competitiveness of competitive sports.
(4) The stage of transformation, upgrading and all-round development (2009-present).After the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, the main tasks of competitive sports are to actively explore the sustainable development mode, vigorously promote the reform of competitive sports system and mechanism, innovate the Olympic preparation mode and implement the national games system reform, and steadily promote the substantive reform of Olympic sports associations. Especially since entering the new era, competitive sports have gained new development impetus, and gradually realized the institutional mechanism transformation from single management to multiple governance, from "glory-winning sports" to all-round sports, from "gold medal first" to the compound goal transformation of showing comprehensive strength, and competitive sports have gathered new development vitality.
Second, the main achievements
(A) the Olympic journey to create excellent results
Since the 15th Helsinki Olympic Games in 1952, the China delegation has been making its mark on the Olympic stage. In 1984, Xu Haifeng won the first gold medal in the Olympic Games, achieving a "zero breakthrough" in gold medals and medals. From the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games to the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, China participated in 9 Summer Olympic Games and won 224 gold medals, 167 silver medals and 155 bronze medals. Since China participated in the 13th Winter Olympics in 1980, China has participated in 11 Winter Olympics. In 1992, it achieved a breakthrough of zero medals and zero gold medals in 2002, especially in the Vancouver Winter Olympics in 2010, China entered the top 8 medals list for the first time. By 2018, China has won 13 gold medals, 28 silver medals and 21 bronze medals in the Winter Olympics. It took only 24 years for the Los Angeles Olympic Games to return to the Olympic family and achieve the breakthrough of "zero" Olympic gold medal, to enter the first group of Olympic gold medal list for the first time in Sydney Olympic Games in 2000, and to top the gold medal list for the first time in Beijing Olympic Games in 2008. Competitive sports achieved leap-forward development and created a miracle in the history of competitive sports in the world.
(2) The number of world champions and world records has increased.
Since participating in the 15th Helsinki Olympic Games in 1952, China athletes have been winning glory for their country and bravely climbing the peak, and made historical leaps again and again. Especially since the reform and opening up, the number of world champions in competitive sports has increased. Since 1978, China athletes won four championships in the world series, Chinese athletes have won 252 Olympic champions. Won 3319 world champions, accounting for more than 99% of the total since the founding of New China; It has surpassed the world record by 1,125 times, accounting for 86.4% of the total since the founding of New China. Among them, from 1978 to 2000, China athletes won 1,392 world championships, with an average of 60.5 in 23 years, far exceeding the growth rate of other countries in the world in the same period.
(C) created a large number of stable Olympic gold medals
We constantly focus on creating key projects suitable for China’s national conditions, forming a relatively stable group of key projects, creating seven dominant events, such as diving, table tennis, badminton, gymnastics, weightlifting, shooting and judo, and many potential dominant events, such as wrestling, fencing, archery, cycling and taekwondo. China’s competitive sports have become an important force in the international sports arena. In addition, a large number of outstanding sports teams have emerged in China, such as China women’s volleyball team, China table tennis team, China mountaineering team, and China diving team known as the "dream team".
(D) The advantages of the national system and the Olympic strategic system have been formed.
Since the founding of New China, China’s sports have actively adapted to the requirements of the development of market economy, and constantly adjusted and improved the national system through persistence, so that the national system can always exert great cohesion, mobilization and coordination, and fully mobilize the enthusiasm of the national sports system to jointly do a good job in competitive sports. After 70 years’ continuous test of sports practice by several generations of sports workers, the national system has become a magic weapon to promote the rapid development of competitive sports in China and achieve brilliant achievements. Relying on the national system can widely mobilize the enthusiasm of the national resources and sports system in a special period, effectively form an institutional mechanism of government-led, departmental coordination and social participation, shape a strong working force, and promote competitive sports to achieve excellent results in world competitions.
(5) Successfully bid for hosting the Olympic Games, World Championships, Asian Games and other major international events.
Successfully held the 1990 Beijing Asian Games, 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games, 2011 Shanghai World Swimming Championships, 2012 Haiyang 3rd Asian Games, 2013 Nanjing 2nd Asian Youth Games, 2013 Tianjin 6th East Asian Games, 2014 Nanjing 2nd Youth Olympic Games, 2015 Beijing World Athletics Championships and 2015 Suzhou World Table Tennis Championships. Many comprehensive international events, such as the 2018 Nanjing World Badminton Championship, the 2019 Men’s Basketball World Cup and the 7th military world games in Wuhan in 2019, have also successfully bid for the 24th Winter Olympics in Beijing in 2022, the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou in 2022, the 3rd Asian Youth Games in Zhanjiang in 2021 and the 12th World Games in Chengdu in 2025. In particular, the bid for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics has made Beijing the only city in the world that has hosted the Summer Olympic Games and the Winter Olympic Games.
(6) A large-scale team of outstanding competitive sports talents has been trained.
Give full play to the advantages of the national system, vigorously implement the strategy of "strengthening the body with talents" in the field of sports, and gradually establish a training system for athletes, coaches, sports management, scientific research personnel, medical personnel and other outstanding talents, and create a talent team with sufficient quantity, reasonable structure and excellent quality. The number of competitive sports talents is growing steadily, the scale of talent team is growing, and the talent structure is constantly optimized. By 2007, there were 17,937 outstanding athletes in China, including 489 international athletes, 4,230 national athletes, 5,635 first-class athletes and 7,583 second-class and below athletes. From 2008 to 2016, China has trained 2,725 international athletes and 21,020 international athletes. From 2008 to 2017, there were more than 5,000 national athletes and 700 international athletes every year, reaching 854 in 2014. By 2017, there were 24,354 coaches and 1,659 coaches in China. By 2016, there were 95,472 referees nationwide, including 485 international referees and 1,819 national referees, distributed in 72 sports.
(VII) The reform of professionalization and socialization of competitive sports has achieved remarkable results.
Promoting the professionalization and social reform of competitive sports is an important breakthrough to improve the development level of competitive sports. Since the founding of New China, China has continuously promoted the substantive reform of sports associations in the field of competitive sports, actively explored the development mode of professional sports under the conditions of socialist market economy, continued to promote the professionalization of qualified sports, improved the professionalism level of football, basketball, tennis and other sports, and used the social market to help the development of competitive sports, forming a professional league market of a certain scale. Since 2015, taking football reform as a breakthrough, the professional development level of football, basketball and volleyball has been continuously improved, and the social participation of professional sports has been continuously expanded.
(VIII) The position and role of competitive sports in serving the national strategy are increasingly prominent.
Since the founding of New China, competitive sports have made outstanding achievements in domestic and international competitions, at the same time, their own connotations and extensions have been continuously enriched, and they have been continuously integrated with economic, social, cultural, diplomatic and other fields, which has played an important role in national development. By hosting and participating in various large-scale international competitions, it has displayed the good image of China and the new features of economic and social development, shaped the image of a big country, and demonstrated the great achievements of China’s reform and opening up. By vigorously developing the competition performance market, professional sports market, sports fitness and entertainment market, the industrialization of competitive sports projects was promoted. In 2016, the total output of the sports competition performance industry was 186.8 trillion yuan, and the added value reached 6.55 billion yuan. With the deepening of China’s sports reform, the political value of competitive sports, which mainly serves the rise of the country, has gradually changed to the humanistic value of meeting social needs. Focusing on meeting the needs of people’s cultural life, it has continuously exerted the diversified values of leisure, education and health of competitive sports.
(9) Chinese sportsmanship has been enriched in practice and carried forward in the whole society.
Chinese sports spirit is an important cultural wealth produced in the field of competitive sports in China. Since the founding of New China, we have gradually formed the Chinese sports spirit with the connotation of "winning glory for our country, unity and cooperation, selfless dedication and tenacious struggle". The Chinese sports spirit has inherited the timeless national spirit of the Chinese nation and condensed the painstaking efforts of generations on the sports front, which has been continuously promoted in practice. China Women’s Volleyball Team is not afraid of strong players, and has worked hard to create the glory of five consecutive championships. The "Women’s Volleyball Team Spirit" has greatly inspired the people of the whole country’s passion for reform and has become a powerful spiritual driving force for the whole nation to forge ahead. "How many times can you have in life", "Keep your mind on the motherland and look at the world" and "Rush out of Asia and go to the world" far exceed the scope of sports and become a powerful spiritual force that inspires the people of the whole country to strive for self-improvement and strength. Chinese sports spirit has enriched the content of socialist spiritual civilization construction, and has become a treasure to inspire the people of the whole country to actively participate in socialist modernization, and has been widely promoted in the whole society.
Third, the development direction of competitive sports in China in the new era
1. Enrich the new connotation of competitive sports development and help build a powerful country in the new era.
First, we should change from the single value of serving the country to the multi-value of meeting social needs, and broaden the value connotation of competitive sports development. We should put more emphasis on promoting national and social construction in the new era through competitive sports, constantly tap the economic, cultural and educational values of competitive sports, play a comprehensive role in promoting national economic and social transformation and upgrading, serving national foreign strategy in the new era, and promoting national civilization and social harmony, so as to expand more space and gather more energy for competitive sports’ own development, so as to better play the important role of competitive sports in the new journey of building a socialist modern country.
Second, from one-dimensional glory for the country to comprehensive service for social development, closely meet the needs of building a strong country in the new era and innovate the target connotation of competitive sports development. It is necessary to promote the new connotation of competitive sports development from the height of national development and national rejuvenation, closely link the development of competitive sports with the destiny of the country and the nation, reposition the development direction of competitive sports from the height of national development and national strategy, better serve the goal of building a healthy China and a strong country, promote the transformation of development mode of competitive sports from the starting point of meeting people’s sports needs, and continuously enhance the motivation and vitality of comprehensive, coordinated and sustainable development of competitive sports.
The third is to change the priority development and catch-up development of competitive sports to coordinated development and all-round development, and optimize the structural connotation of competitive sports development. Competitive sports in the new era should always adhere to the people-centered development concept, correct the structural problems in the development of competitive sports in time, and fill the shortcomings in the development of competitive sports as soon as possible. It is necessary to carry out the development concept of "innovation, coordination, green, openness and sharing", ensure the balanced development of various elements in competitive sports, implement sustainable development evaluation, and promote the connotative development of competitive sports by optimizing the development mode of competitive sports.
2. Establish a new system and mechanism for the development of competitive sports, and improve the modernization level of governance capacity.
First, the institutional mechanism of competitive sports has changed from single management to multi-governance, from unlimited government power to limited power, from "one-wheel drive" of government management and operation to "four-wheel drive" of government, society, market and individuals, from "vertical" management to "flat" governance, so as to promote the continuous transformation of competitive sports to the "flat" governance structure of government-led, social participation and personal investment. Strengthen the top-level design, change the government functions, establish the main position of social organizations in the development of competitive sports, and constantly integrate the full participation of society, the effective participation of the market, the voluntary participation of citizens and the government’s leadership to create a new competitive sports governance structure that makes full use of social resources, relies on social forces, government participation and market support.
The second is to change from extensive relying on concentrated resources to organizational system focusing on scientific and technological assistance and mechanism innovation, and to promote the intensive transformation of competitive sports governance structure to multi-mechanism coupling innovation. Integrate the institutional resources of competitive sports, strengthen the coordination between government regulation and market resource allocation, promote the development mode of competitive sports to change from the extensional expansion with emphasis on quantity to the connotative development with emphasis on quality, continue to innovate the operational mechanism of competitive sports, from the extensive one that emphasizes the concentrated investment of resources to the intensive one that relies on the innovation of ideas and systems, and from the human-intensive one to the scientific one, so as to improve the overall structural benefits of competitive sports and guide the continuous development of competitive sports to the connotative one.
The third is to change from a single state investment to an Olympic preparation organization and management model with multiple participation of the state and society, so as to enhance the activity of the preparation system and mechanism. Promote preparation by reform, strengthen reform by preparation, innovate the management mechanism of national team’s preparation, guide and encourage local sports and social organizations, enterprises, universities and individuals to undertake the task of Olympic training by coordinating various forces such as government, society, market, individuals and industries, integrate various forces, mobilize the enthusiasm of diverse subjects to prepare for the Olympic Games, build a national preparation organization and management platform, and build a preparation system with multiple participation of the state and society.
3. Constantly improve the development strategy of competitive sports and improve the ability to win glory for our country.
First, from highlighting the advantages of the Olympic Games to the comprehensive and coordinated development of various competitive sports, by enhancing the overall strength of competitive sports, we can improve the ability of competitive sports to win glory for the country. Change the layout of Olympic strategic events centered on dominant events, improve the structure of competitive sports events, expand and consolidate the scale of dominant events while maintaining the level of dominant events, vigorously implement the strategy of revitalizing collective ball events and the strategy of comprehensively improving physical fitness events, achieve breakthroughs in the most influential events recognized in the world, maintain the comprehensive level of winter events and continuously improve international competitiveness, and achieve world-class results in the summer Olympic Games and world competitions. By optimizing the structural layout of competitive sports, we can establish a reasonable distribution of events.
Second, the Olympic strategy has changed from focusing on quantity and scale to emphasizing quality and efficiency, from the supremacy of gold medals to the compound goal of showing comprehensive strength, enriching the new connotation of competitive sports winning glory for the country. Shaping and popularizing a healthy and positive view of gold medals has shifted from simply pursuing the improvement of sports level to enhancing the comprehensive competitiveness of competitive sports. Fully understand the national development, national image, national spirit and social value behind competitive sports, scientifically coordinate the preparations for major events, and pay more attention to the right to speak in international sports, the right to participate in international sports affairs, the ability to host international events, and the right to formulate rules for large-scale events, so as to comprehensively enhance the comprehensive competitiveness of competitive sports.
Third, from passive response to active adaptation to the development law of international competitive sports, from mentoring to tackling key problems in the Olympics, we will vigorously promote the work of "science and technology assistance" and improve the scientific and intelligent level of sports training. Actively adapt to the changes of international politics, economy and information technology, deepen the research on the development law of competitive sports, grasp the evolution characteristics and training laws of Olympic events, and improve the scientific and technological content behind gold medals. It is necessary to build a scientific and technological assistance platform, speed up the construction of compound training teams, promote the deep integration of new technologies, new materials, new equipment and physical training, special training, functional monitoring, medical rehabilitation, dietary nutrition, psychological training, intelligence information and other training practices, speed up the intelligent transformation of training venues, equipment and facilities, and improve the scientific and informational level of training process and state monitoring.
4. Vigorously promote the work of "science and technology assistance" and improve the scientific level of sports training.
The first is to improve the system and mechanism of "science and technology assistance" work. Establish a scientific and technological service system that is compatible with the socialist market economic system and closely integrated with sports training practice, improve the unified management mechanism, break through the barriers between various projects, and closely integrate science and technology with training practice by building a platform for resource sharing and experience exchange. Make extensive use of social market resources, attract all social forces to participate in the work of "science and technology assistance", and jointly carry out scientific research, science and technology service and guarantee by giving full play to the advantages of different participants, so as to create an efficient, multi-channel and multi-form sports training information service network and sports science and technology incentive and guarantee mechanism, and improve the quality and efficiency of science and technology service.
The second is to vigorously implement the "science and technology assistance" and the science and technology support plan. Introduce big data and artificial intelligence technology, strengthen international information collection, and dynamically analyze and master big data of competitive sports in various countries; Develop science and technology around the actual needs of sports training, organize multiple forces to carry out public relations on major competitive sports research projects by means of science and technology, and promote the application of high and new technology in sports training practice; Strengthen the big data analysis of technical and tactical training, improve the level of special physical training and scientific recovery and regeneration, speed up the update iteration of biotechnology, sports equipment, training equipment and scientific research instruments, strengthen scientific training, nutrition recovery, state control and multidisciplinary scientific and technological public relations, improve the scientific and informational level of training process and state monitoring, and gradually improve the scientific and technological content of the project through equipment innovation and equipment upgrading.
The third is to build a modern multi-functional intelligent venue. Improve the scientific and technological elements of training venues and facilities in China, gradually improve the scientific and technological content of venues and facilities through equipment innovation, equipment transformation and upgrading, and promote the integration of training, scientific research, medical care, rehabilitation and other elements into training venues. It is necessary to constantly upgrade and transform the multifunctional intelligent venues that meet the needs of preparing for the Olympic Games, and build an intelligent training center with multi-functions such as technical diagnosis, medical supervision, information collection and physical recovery, so as to provide excellent hardware guarantee for sports training and competition.
5. Construct a modern competition system with China characteristics and improve the professional level of competitive sports.
The first is to promote the socialization, scientificization, institutionalization and diversification of the competition system. Reform the system of the National Games, the Winter Games and the Youth Games, improve the methods of organizing and managing the Games, promote the integration of the National Games with the Olympic Games, link the annual events with the National Games, closely combine domestic and international competitions, and carry out various series, grand prix and sub-races to meet the needs of people in different regions and at different levels. We will implement the hierarchical and classified management of competitions, expand the flexibility, openness and autonomy of holding and participating in professional competitions, mobilize the enthusiasm of diversified competition subjects, and establish a single competition system that meets the needs of project development and market, the requirements of the growth and success of young athletes, and is in line with international standards.
The second is to innovate the development mode of professional sports with China characteristics. First of all, to coordinate the relationship between China’s professional sports and professional sports that win glory for the country, we should not only base ourselves on China’s national conditions but also respect the development law of professional sports, coordinate the relationship between project management centers and associations and professional clubs, and make extensive use of social market resources to improve the competitive level of sports according to the marketization degree of sports in China; Secondly, we should promote the substantive operation of professional leagues, do a good job in the top-level design of professional sports leagues, create professional leagues with different projects, fully mobilize the enthusiasm of social markets to participate in professional competitions, build a league management system guided by the government, relying on the market and supervised by associations, and establish a development model of professional leagues with China characteristics.
The third is to cultivate professional brand events with international influence. Give full play to the leading role of the market, fully tap the professional development potential of different projects, and build professional sports clubs with China characteristics and high-level professional brand events. Actively promote all kinds of sports clubs to the international market, explore the professional development path of football, basketball, volleyball, tennis, golf and other projects in China according to the professionalism and influence of sports in China in the world, and strive to cultivate 3-5 professional brand events with international influence by 2050.
6. Persist in implementing the strategy of strengthening the body with talents and promote the diversified training of competitive sports talents.
The first is to build a new competitive sports reserve talent training system with multiple inputs from sports system, education system and social forces. Broaden the ways to train athletes, vigorously promote the integration of sports and education, mobilize the enthusiasm, initiative and creativity of talent training units, social organizations and individuals while continuing to play the leading role of government departments, and give play to the role of the market in popularizing projects and cultivating reserve talents. Improve the youth sports network and linkage mechanism combining schools, communities and families, realize the organic combination of sports schools, school sports teams, amateur sports schools and sports clubs, and lay a solid foundation for cultivating competitive sports reserve talents.
The second is to improve the training level of high-level coaches, referees and other compound talents. Further implement the elite coach training plan, strengthen the construction, management and training of high-level coaches, improve the evaluation mechanism of coach coaching management and the methods to improve coaches’ professional ability, establish a lifelong learning system for coaches, and comprehensively improve the comprehensive quality and innovation ability of high-level coaches in China. Improve the scientific level of compound training management team, and build a talent team recognized by international sports organizations by accelerating the training of physical training talents in China, expanding the scale of physical training and rehabilitation talents in China, and increasing the training of high-level competition managers and referees.
The third is to promote the diversification of the talent training mode of the national team. Innovate the formation mode of the national team, optimize the selection method of outstanding talents, and vigorously promote the socialization, institutionalization and localization of the training of high-level talents of the national team. By relying on various forces to mobilize the enthusiasm of social participation, we will actively establish cooperative relations with some colleges and universities and individual associations, and use various forces to build a new national team. In addition, we should combine education policy with competitive sports policy to cultivate outstanding reserve talents, continue to carry out cross-border multi-disciplinary talent selection, establish a long-term mechanism combining project selection with cross-border selection, continue to implement the strategy of strengthening the body with talents, and build a reserve talent echelon with different projects linked and progressive.
