The Putian sports training base. [Photo/putian.gov.cn]

The ongoing Paris Olympics have captured worldwide attention, with Fujian province standing out not only for nurturing numerous outstanding athletes but also as a popular training ground for many sports teams. In fact, China's first gold medal of the Paris Olympics is closely linked to Fujian.

Athletes from the Chinese shooting team at the Paris Olympics, including Olympic gold medalists Huang Yuting, Sheng Lihao, and Xie Yu, underwent preparatory training in Putian before the Games.

The Putian sports training base, located in Xitianwei town, Licheng district, spans around 20 hectares, with a total construction area of approximately 44,000 square meters. It houses one of the country's largest shooting ranges and equipped with advanced facilities such as one of the world's most sophisticated shooting competition timing and scoring systems.

The training base has hosted the national shooting and archery teams for winter training every year since 2011, organizing over 50 international and national-level events, including the 2019 ISSF World Cup Final Rifle/Pistol, contributing to remarkable achievements in shooting and archery at various games.

Fencing is another strong suit in Fujian, with the province producing numerous exceptional athletes for the national team. At the current Paris Olympics, five Fujian athletes—Chen Qingyuan, Huang Qianqian, Jiao Enqi, Chen Haiwei, and Xu Jie — are part of the national fencing team, the highest Fujian representation of any sport at this year's Olympics.

The Kaiyuan Flying Saucer Shooting Training Base in Sanming covers an area of 22,100 square meters and features six sets of flying saucer shooting ranges built to international standards, providing athletes with a professional training environment.

With top-notch facilities and comprehensive services, the base has successfully hosted various national-level shooting events and Olympic selection trials, establishing a strong reputation in the shooting field. Fujian native athlete Jiang Yiting will represent China in the flying saucer events at the Paris Olympics.

In recent years, Fujian has upgraded multiple national-level training bases, offering Fujian athletes more opportunities to excel.