By Liu Yu
When you open the live stream of the National Games, have you noticed a detail that differs from your memory? While athletes are competing fiercely on the field, the conspicuous gold medal and overall medal tally that used to be in the corner of the screen or on the official website in previous years are now nowhere to be seen. Why has the current National Games stopped "flaunting" the medal rankings?
The disappearance of the medal tally is a long-planned "return to roots." The answer lies in a 2015 reform document. In December of that year, the General Administration of Sport of China issued the "Opinions on Further Regulating the Bidding and Competition Organization Management of Large Comprehensive Sports Games," which explicitly stipulated the removal of the gold medal tally, overall medal tally, and total points ranking in national comprehensive sports games like the National Games.
This decision directly targeted the long-standing utilitarian tendency of "winning gold medals as the sole goal" in the sports field: when local governments treat medal counts as performance indicators, and when athletes' value is reduced to their position on the podium, sports deviate from their essence of "strengthening physique and uniting spirit." The 2017 Tianjin 13th National Games became the first practice ground for this concept; and the recently opened 2025 Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao 15th National Games further implemented the philosophy of "green, inclusive, open, and clean" games — from free public access to venues for community members, to integrating Lingnan cultural elements like lion dance and paddleboarding into the events, this "comprehensive" sports meet has long broken free from the narrow confines of medal counts.
The Cost of "Gold Medal Only" Mentality: From Deception to the Fall of Lives
When "gold medals" become the only goal, the vines of utilitarianism entangle the very essence of sports. The most glaring example is the "Russian doping scandal" at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics: an independent report released by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in 2016 confirmed that Russia, through state-level systematic operations, tampered with samples and administered banned substances, allowing dozens of athletes to cheat their way to glory on the medal tally — this kind of "honor" sacrificed at the altar of fairness has long been contrary to sports ethics.
Even more cruel is the fact that the pursuit of utilitarianism has directly led to life tragedies: at the 1960 Rome Olympics, Danish cyclist Knud Jensen died suddenly from a heart attack during the race after taking amphetamines; in the 1967 Tour de France, British cyclist Tom Simpson also died on a climb due to an amphetamine overdose. When athletes' bodies become "tools" for medals, and when the cost of life is exchanged for a few seconds of advantage on the podium, does such "victory" truly deserve to be called "sports spirit"?
The "Comprehensive" in National Games: Not Just Geographically, But Every Ordinary Person
Contrary to the utilitarian logic of "gold medals only," the National Games are increasingly showcasing a vibrant "grassroots character." In Chinese, the term "National Games" (全運會, Quan Yun Hui) — the character "全" (quan, meaning "all" or "comprehensive") has never been just about geographical coverage; it also embodies the warmth of "participation for all, sharing across all ages": the 2017 Tianjin National Games first added 19 public participation events, attracting 70,000 ordinary people to compete on professional venues; the 2021 Shaanxi National Games expanded the public participation events to 185 sub-items; the 2025 Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao National Games further increased the public events to 34 major categories — square dance teams showing vitality in stadiums, retired seniors competing in paddleboarding balance, young people's lion dance performances gracing the National Games stage... These arenas, where winning gold medals isn't the goal, transform sports from "competitions on TV" into a tangible, accessible lifestyle for ordinary people.
Looking Back to Ancient Greece: Honor Was Never the Weight of Precious Metal
In fact, the origin of sports long ago provided the answer to "honor." Although the rewards for winning athletes in the ancient Olympic Games changed several times, the principle remained the same: to emphasize spiritual rewards. Material rewards also existed, but they were quite meager. At the ancient Greek Olympic Games, winners did not receive gold or silver medals, but only a simple wreath woven from olive or laurel branches. That wreath represented the pride of the city-state, the harmony of body and spirit, and the pure contest of "faster, higher, stronger" — the weight of honor has never been measured by the grams of precious metal. It should reside in fair competition, in mass participation, and in the shining eyes of every individual illuminated by sports.
Today, the "disappearance" of the medal tally at the National Games does not weaken competition but allows it to return to its true nature; it does not dilute honor but allows honor to find a healthier vessel. When sports no longer revolve solely around gold medals, can they truly become the warm fabric of life belonging to everyone?
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