Chinese athletes have been sweating it out day in and day out at the ongoing Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games to bring glory to the country.

Among the competitors are some very young, born in the late 1990s or early 2000s, such as swimmers Tang Muhan, Yang Junxuan and Li Bingjie, who won gold in the women's 4x200-meter freestyle relay, and 23-year-old Zhang Yufei, who won two golds and two silvers in different swimming events.

The Chinese team also includes some senior athletes, too, such as 32-year-old Gong Lijiao, who struck gold in women's shot put, her first gold and third Olympic medal, in what is her fourth Olympics. Then there's Su Bingtian, also 32, who set a new Asian record in the men's 100-meter sprint. In an interview, Su said he was the only one born in the 1980s in the race. And then there is 37-year-old Lyu Xiaojun, who won the gold medal in 81-kilogram weightlifting.

Older athletes have demonstrated the same competitive spirit as younger ones. With proper training and hard work, they can pose a challenge to even their much younger counterparts.

Winning a medal is thus not the only reason to respect such athletes. The fact that they are entering a contest and challenging much younger competitors is reason enough to salute the hard work they have put it.

Their fighting spirit, hopefully, inspires the younger generations. Also, a mechanism is in place whereby veteran athletes keep sharing their experiences with younger members of China's Olympic contingents, teaching them how to perform better on the field.

All these show the Olympics is more about competing fairly than winning medals.