Olympic heroes spread joy, laughter in Hong Kong, Macao

Long Daoyi's presence at the Macao East Asian Games Dome lit up the crowd in an instant.

With the mic clenched in one hand and the other moving to the beat, he shouted with confident swagger, "Dragon One on the stage now!"

His lyrics hit just as hard as the beat, his sneakers tapping in perfect rhythm, shoulders rolling, head bobbing — every move owning the moment.

But here was something that made this rapper stand out from the rest — he wasn't dressed in the usual streetwear. Instead, he was proudly sporting Team China's Olympic uniform.

Fresh from winning gold with Wang Zongyuan in the men's synchronized 3-meter springboard event at Paris 2024, Long was there to make a splash in a different way.

The gala event where Long performed was in Macao on Sept 1. It was one of the stops made by 65 mainland Olympians — including 59 gold medalists from the Paris Olympic Games — to Hong Kong and Macao from Aug 29 to Sept 2.

The visits were part of a long-standing tradition of mainland Olympic medalists touring Hong Kong and Macao after the Summer Olympics to demonstrate the Olympic spirit and engage with local communities.

Over 4,200 tickets for the gala were given to Macao residents through a lottery system.

Faced with such a large audience, Long said he was nervous but excited. "I'm honored to perform here, and I'm thankful for the chance to show who I am," he said.