The opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics will take place on July 26, where the Republic of China’s Sports Administration announced on the 4th the list of Taiwan’s delegation, consisting of 60 athletes and 39 coaches, with 23 athletes making their Olympic debut. Sports Administration Director Zheng Shizhong stated that all logistics have been prepared, and the athletes will be seated in business class during their travels.
Taiwan has secured participation in 16 sports categories at this year’s Paris Olympics, with 8 shooters constituting the largest team in a single sport. The delegations are expected to start departing from July 17, with the archery team being the earliest to depart.
The total number of members in Taiwan’s Olympic delegation has reached 212, with the sports science staff increasing significantly from 25 in the previous Tokyo Olympics to 58 this time. This includes 16 physical therapists and sport trainers, 10 sports psychologists, 3 data analysts, 3 strength and conditioning coaches, and 2 nutritionists.
In an interview with the Central News Agency, Zheng Shizhong mentioned that all athletes will be traveling in business class throughout the Paris Olympics. Additionally, 50 mobile air conditioners have been rented for the athlete village to ensure that the athletes receive top-notch logistical support and are able to compete in their best condition.
Regarding the coaching credentials, Taiwan has 25 A cards (allowing on-site coaching) and P cards, which only grant access to warm-up areas. Zheng Shizhong emphasized, “We have planned the card exchange process to meet the needs of each coach for on-site coaching. For sports like athletics and tennis where on-site coaching is not allowed, coaches will be provided with P cards.”
Furthermore, the Sports Administration plans for 33 athletes and 6 delegation members to participate in the opening ceremony, with the flag bearers yet to be confirmed, but there will definitely be one male and one female representative.
Zheng Shizhong also highlighted that due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, “we have anticipated and rehearsed various emergency situations, with graded response measures in place to ensure the safety of all delegations.”
(Translated from the Central News Agency)