The Chinese Olympic Committee said 293 of its athletes－accounting for nearly 68 percent of the team－made their Olympic debuts in Tokyo as part of the country's efforts to hone a new generation of talents.

Many of the youngsters, boasting composure and athletic prowess beyond their age, have captivated global audiences with their breakthrough performances, with or without gold around their necks.

Led by women's 200m butterfly champion Zhang Yufei, young swimmers Tang Muhan, Yang Junxuan and Li Bingjie, who were all born at the turn of the millennium, stunned a strong final field to win the women's 4x200m freestyle relay in a world-record time of 7 minutes, 40.33 seconds.

China, Australia and the United States are the only nations to win the event at the Games since its Olympic debut in 1996.

"The unexpected win has set our hopes high for the future, as well as boosting our confidence," said Li, a 19-year-old Hebei native, who also won her first individual Olympic medal after finishing third in the 400m freestyle.