"Such contradictoriness only belongs to Chinese," he says, "and I wish athletes will not be limited by label, become their better selves freely."

The design received much applause and praise at the scene.

"I feel good about the new Team China uniform. The design is creative. It looks really good, and the details really impressed me,"Zhao Shuai, a Chinese taekwondo star, says,"I hope to wear this great uniform to stand on the highest podium at the Tokyo Olympics."

Artistic gymnast Xiao Ruoteng comments, "the design is different from previous editions. Also, it integrates a lot of elements from traditional Chinese culture."

The 40-year-old boxer Zou Shiming, who won light flyweight golds at the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Games, says, "the design and quality of the Team China uniforms are improving year after year."

"All along China has been influenced by foreign cultures, but in fact, we need to relearn our culture and go back to our root to find our central axis. At that time, we no longer have to distinguish between the West or the East, we just need to make our own way and we will find our future," Yip says.

Contact the writer at [email protected]