Slippers, toys, charms… Olympic medalists leading trends in China

With the Olympics in full swing, medalists competing in Paris are not only leading scores but also leading trends in China. Slippers, bag charms, jewelries… many young people have been following their styles while following the competitions.

China's diving queen and three-time gold medalist Quan Hongchan has been adored by the Chinese people. The 17-year-old diver is a sensation on the internet, for her straightforward personalities and ardent passion about toys.

Her bag is always full of turtle toys, and her slippers are always in cartoon shapes and bright colors. Many Gen-Z young people have been following suit.

Huang Yuting, 17-year-old shooter who set off China's Paris Olympics campaign to a golden start with Sheng Lihao in the 10m air rifle mixed team event, has been shot to fame almost overnight. A hairpin she wore during the competition, with the decoration of cartoon dogs, instantly become a trend.

Compared with the Chinese Gen-Z young person, Turkish shooter Yusuf Dikec went viral on the Chinese internet for his "chill" style. Wearing only a pair of regular spectacles and ear plugs, he claimed a silver his team in the mixed team 10m air pistol event. "He's almost as cool as a killer," the Chinese social media exclaimed.

After 18-year-old gold medalist Deng Yawen won women's BMX freestyle park final, she wore a traditional Chinese hairpin on her hair for the awarding ceremony. She told reporters that it is the hairpin she was wearing before claiming her first championship, and she believed it has brought her good luck.

Table tennis is definitely one of the most attractive sports for the Chinese audience during the Olympics. The Chinese table tennis players, dominant in their realm, are usually the top stars on Chinese social media. Fans have been following whatever they wear or use. For instance, the bag charms of player Sun Yingsha, world's No. 1 in women's table tennis and the mixed doubles event gold medalist, have captured public attention.

Chen Meng has successfully defended her Olympic championship in the women's table tennis singles Saturday. She also becomes the third defending champion in the Olympic event following Deng Yaping and Zhang Yining. A necklace with a piece of jadeite, one of the favorite jewelries of the Chinese, have become a topic after her success.

The trending styles also means commercial opportunities. Chinese domestic reports say that the sales volume of Huang Yuting's hairpin reached 600,000 within two days. Quan Hongchan's slippers, Sun Yingsha's sneakers, her teammate Wang Chuqin's hairbands… the searching list has been going on.

Meanwhile, the trends have kept the machines of the wholesale market in Yiwu busy. Millions of productions rolled off the production line and enters the markets or retailers' stores across the country.

According to the customs' data, in the first half of the year, the export volume from Yiwu to France reached $240 million, up 23.7 percent year on year. The export volume of sports products increased by 150.7 percent, boosted by the Olympics.

Subscribe to Storyboard: A weekly newsletter bringing you the best of CGTN every Friday