Chinese University Student Sports Delegation Continues to Shine at Chengdu Universiade
Xinhua News Agency, Chengdu, August 1 – The Chinese university student sports delegation continued to dominate the Chengdu Universiade on the 1st, grabbing a total of 10 gold medals and maintaining their lead in the medal tally with 27 golds, 9 silvers, and 10 bronzes. Both on and off the field, these college athletes displayed their youthful spirit through laughter and tears.
Among the 21 gold medals won that day, 6 came from shooting. The Chinese shooting team stood on the podium 6 times, earning 2 golds, 2 silvers, and 2 bronzes. Hu Kai delivered the first gold medal in the individual shooting event for the Chinese team, while Xiong Yaxuan, Wang Keyi, and Lin Yaqian teamed up to secure the women’s 25m pistol team championship.
The track and field events kicked off with a “good start” for the Chinese team, clinching two gold medals on the same day. Song Jiayuan from Shanghai University emerged as the women’s shot put champion with an impressive 18.56 meters throw, and Xia Yuyu overtook a Turkish player in the final lap to claim gold in the women’s 10,000-meter race, despite the drizzle.
World-renowned swimmers Qin Haiyang, known as the “Frog King,” and Zhang Yufei, dubbed the “Queen of Butterflies,” who recently achieved great success at the Fukuoka World Championships in Japan, arrived in Chengdu in the early hours of the same day. They immediately set new records in the men’s 100-meter breaststroke and women’s 50-meter butterfly events. Zhang Yufei also led the Chinese team to set a new record in the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay, clocking in at 3 minutes 37 seconds 51, setting the tone for a successful campaign at the Chengdu Universiade.
During the diving competition, Chinese divers Chen Jia and Wang Yi clinched the gold and silver medals in the women’s 1-meter springboard event. Chen Jia received a warm hug from Ren Qian, the diving champion of the Rio Olympics, celebrating their outstanding performance.
Table tennis also contributed two gold medals for the Chinese team. While the Chinese men’s team effortlessly defeated the Chinese Taipei team 3-0 to secure the men’s team championship, the women’s team faced a thrilling battle against the Japanese team, winning narrowly with a score of 3-2 after fighting for three and a half hours.
The Chinese taekwondo team won two gold medals as well. Song Jie staged an impressive comeback to secure the women’s 67kg class championship, while Zhang Kai dominated the men’s 80kg class to claim gold.
Judo events concluded the day with the Japanese team winning the final two gold medals.
Apart from the fierce competition on the field, the Universiade Village Science and Technology Service Workstation offered a unique opportunity for athletes to capture their memories. Athletes celebrating their birthdays during the Universiade had the chance to take a photo in the 3D photo studio. After four days, they received a 3D printed version of themselves for free, enabling them to take a piece of Chengdu back home.
Wu Yanni from Beijing Sport University expressed her excitement and joy upon receiving her 3D printed version, exclaiming, “So excited! Looks good! So cute! The legs are so long.” Over 100 “villagers” from various delegations have already received their personalized 3D images, showcasing their bright smiles.
While smiles were abundant, tears also flowed. Xia Yuyu, who won the women’s 10,000-meter gold medal, shed tears of farewell, expressing that this would be her last Universiade, and the gold medal marked a successful end to her journey.
Lin Yaxi, standing atop the podium in the women’s 25m pistol team competition with her teammates, shed tears of joy as the audience sang the birthday song in unison. She declared the championship as the best birthday present for herself.
However, Wang Zeru, a two-time podium finisher in diving, shed tears of regret. Reflecting on her performance, she confessed, “I used to think that winning the gold medal was guaranteed, but both the team and individual events slipped away. The coach even provoked me, saying, ‘You’re bragging, you won’t come back.’ This made me even more uncomfortable.” Nevertheless, Wang remained determined, wiping away her tears and stating, “This time, I let the volunteers witness my failure, but I will definitely get it back next time.”
On the 2nd, the fencing competition will commence while shooting events will come to a close, with 23 gold medals up for grabs.