by sportswriters Li Chunyu, Zhou Chang and Wang Haoming
GUANGZHOU, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) — China’s National Games has witnessed the emergence of many young talents across its 66-year history.
Co-hosted by Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, the 15th edition of the Games, which concludes on Friday night, demonstrated the potential of China’s teenage athletes in the new Olympic cycle.
18-year-old Zhang Zhanshuo of Shandong surpassed expectations with five swimming golds in the men’s 200m, 400m, 800m, 1,500m freestyle, and the men’s 4x200m freestyle relay.
“I just tried my best in each event and worked hard together with my teammates. The pressure on me increased as the Games progressed, but I settled down and managed to win,” said Zhang, who lowered his own 400m freestyle world junior record to three minutes 42.82 seconds.
In the 2024 Paris Olympics, Zhang was one of China’s quartet that finished fourth in the men’s 4x200m freestyle relay. He placed fifth in the men’s 400m freestyle at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore.
A freshman at Fudan University, Zhang’s successes at these Games have seen him compared to China’s Olympic champions Sun Yang and Pan Zhanle. Zhang responded with modesty, “I am not on that high level and still have much to learn from experienced swimmers. I can’t say my era is coming.”
Another talented swimmer Yu Zidi of Hebei, 13, pocketed three golds, one silver and one bronze at the Games, while clocking a new women’s 200m individual medley Asian record time of 2:07.41.
“I didn’t see the result on the screen clearly after the race. When I heard ‘Asian record’ from the commentator, I wondered who did that? It was hard to imagine I made it,” Yu recalled vividly.
While it might be challenging for Yu to articulate the complex emotions behind setting a record at such a young age, there is no doubt that it has boosted her confidence for the long journey ahead.
On the track, Zhejiang’s 16-year-old Chen Yujie won both the women’s 100m and 200m races. The teenage sprinter set a new Asian U20 record of 11.10 seconds in the 100m and achieved the fastest winning time of 23.02 seconds in the 200m since the 2001 National Games.
“I’ve been focusing more on the 100m, so my condition for the 200m wasn’t fully there. The 200m result is a satisfying one for me, though it’s not my personal best,” said Chen, who added that she will run even faster in the future.
As a high school student, Chen now shifts her focus from the track to her studies. “I’ll rest a little and then return to school. I have exams coming up in January next year,” said the rising star.
China’s young athletes also showed well in sports like basketball and gymnastics. In the women’s basketball U18 final, 2.26-meter Zhang Ziyu contributed 31 points and 10 rebounds, leading Shandong to a 96-73 victory over Jiangsu.
“I realized my dream to perform a slam dunk during the Games, which was an impressive moment,” said Zhang, 18, who mainly scores with layups and rarely expresses her emotions on the court.
Zhang was named MVP of the FIBA U18 Women’s Asia Cup in 2024 and was selected for China’s FIBA Women’s Asia Cup campaign this year. Always accompanied by her mother, the young center has continued to improve in major events.
“I love my mom. She is strict with me while always encouraging me. Many thanks for her care. I will make every step count,” Zhang noted.
Guangdong’s Ke Qinqin, 15, grabbed a total five golds in gymnastics across the Games’ youth and senior divisions.
“I participated in competitions all year round and practiced my routines time and time again. I have made progress in mindset, just trying my best to complete each move and not only focusing on the score,” Ke said. “I want to be a world champion.”
Elsewhere, 13-year-old Zhu Qihui led Beijing to victory over Shandong, claiming the table tennis women’s U18 team title, while 19-year-old Wei Tingna of Fujian stunned the weightlifting community by securing victory in the women’s 55kg category with a 125kg clean and jerk.
Emerging sports like skateboarding also saw teenage dominance. Shandong’s Cui Chenxi, 15, won the women’s street title, while Guangdong’s 13-year-old Zheng Haohao, the youngest member of China’s team at the 2024 Olympics, took bronze in the women’s park.
“It might be a rising period with fast improvement for skateboarders from the age of 10 to 15. I still want to master more tricks in the future,” said Cui, who finished fourth in women’s street at Paris 2024. “My next goal is the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.” ■
