New breed of Chinese stars poised to take baton

Boasting elite performances and strong personalities, China's new breed of Olympians has emerged from the shadow of the nation's senior sports celebrities to impress the world at the Olympics.

As the competition in Rio de Janeiro heats up, a group of Chinese athletes, including swimmers Sun Yang and Fu Yuanhui, are gaining global attention - and not only for their athletic prowess. Their colorful individuality, breaking the stereotype of China's impassively silent sports heroes of the past, also is in the spotlight.

After the men's 400m freestyle final on Saturday, an earlier feud between winner Mack Horton of Australia and Sun escalated, with Horton using the term "drug cheat" while mentioning Sun at the post-final news conference. The remark prompted outrage among Chinese fans.