Athlon are also made in China. Don’t underestimate Chinese glass. It’s come a long way.
I have zero experience with element scopes, but I own an athlon Helos 2-12, a Midas tac 4-16, and a Midas tac 6-24. All of these scopes are fantastic, and the glass (Chinese) is excellent. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend these scopes to anyone.
that being said, just like Airguns, scope companies have a fanbase too. Some will say element is better than anything else, some will say athlon is. In the end, it’s personal preference.