In the context of globalization, the cross-border flow of sports talents is becoming increasingly frequent, and naturalized athletes have become an undeniable force on the international sports stage. However, due to cultural differences and identity issues, naturalized athletes often face practical difficulties such as low social acceptance and weak national identity. This article takes naturalized Chinese short track speed skating athletes as an example, based on in-depth interviews and grounded theory construction, to explore how fan groups use online discourse activism strategies to promote public national identity towards naturalized athletes. Research has found that fans enhance the emotional connection and national identity of naturalized athletes by constructing social and political belonging narratives, emphasizing cultural proximity, behavioral neutrality, and ethnic group legitimacy. The research results not only provide a new perspective for understanding sports nationalism, but also provide strategic recommendations for naturalized athletes on how to establish identity recognition in the new cultural system. At the same time, they also contribute theoretical basis for how to manage naturalization policies at the national level to promote the development of sports.

Zhen Li. Research on the Construction Strategy of National Identity of Naturalized Athletes from the Perspective of Fan Network Discourse Activism. Frontiers in Sport Research (2025), Vol. 7, Issue 4: 61-67. https://doi.org/10.25236/FSR.2025.070410.

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