Gold is important, but athletes are not medal-producing machines. Those unfortunate enough to miss out don't have to offer an apology to the nation – that's not what the Olympic Spirit is about.

Dmitry Sautin, a Russian diver who loves his sport, has enjoyed stardom through four sets of Olympics, from China's Xiong Ni through Tian Liang, Hu Jia to Lin Yue and Huo Liang. He once said to Chinese reporters in an interview, "As I get older, my body is no longer strong enough to compete with the young." These calm words and his easy manner showed that taking part is the most important thing to him.

Yesterday, Yang Wei and Li Xiaopeng, members of the Chinese men's gymnastics team, wept when winning gold – a moving sight. People are often emotional when they surpass themselves and achieve their dreams. This is understandable – their goals are achieved through internal drive rather than external force.

But tears are not essential to indicate a love of one's native land. Guo Wenjun, who smashed the Olympic record to win the women's 10m air pistol on August 10, was calm on the podium. Those winners who shed no tears demonstrate their feelings through quiet confidence.

Tan Zongliang, a veteran Chinese shooter who took a bronze medal in the men's 50-meter pistol on August 12, felt it necessary yesterday to repeat an apology to his country. The fact is that he gave his best and defeat carries no shame – Tan does not even rank the first in the world. To see it from another point of view, his long years of dedication to his sport are just as important as his results.

Yesterday evening, Yao Ming faced criticism for being fouled out of the basketball in the final moments of the match against Spain, which was one of the factors contributing to China’s defeat. This is unfair. People should recognize that Spain is the world champion while China is only the No. 1 in Asia. The Chinese men's basketball team, leading Spain by 14 points at the end of the third quarter, deserves great credit for its performance. Yao Ming said after the competition, "If we had started with a fast-break game in the fourth quarter, we would not have needed to go into extra-time." These words were also spoken with some resignation, as it would have been rather difficult for China to start a fast-break game in the face of Spain's sudden strong comeback.

Athletes should not be forced to apologise to their homeland. As the Olympic Spirit maintains, it's the taking part that counts.

(China.org.cn by Wang Wei, August 13, 2008)