This past weekend at the Shenzhen Aquatic Center, China's 15th National Games delivered thrilling moments in the pool as Olympic champions and rising stars battled for gold.
Two-time Olympic champion Zhang Yufei added the women's 50-meter butterfly title to her Jiangsu tally, touching in 25.61 seconds. It's her third medal of the Games after gold in the 100-meter butterfly and bronze in the 200-meter butterfly, cementing her status as one of China's premier swimmers.
Hubei's Peng Xuwei claimed her second victory with a 2:07.74 finish in the women's 200-meter backstroke, followed by Zhejiang's Liu Yaxin and Tianjin's Yang Nuoxi. Meanwhile, Hebei's distance ace Li Bingjie sealed a "double treble" by dominating both the 800-meter (8:19.00) and 1,500-meter freestyle races for her third straight gold in each event.
On the men's side, Tianjin's Wang Changhao successfully defended his 100-meter butterfly crown in 51.40 seconds on the heels of his 50-meter title. But the biggest breakthrough came from Hong Kong SAR's Ian Ho Yen-tou, who raced to a historic win in the men's 50-meter freestyle (21.71 seconds), clinching the delegation's first-ever men's swimming gold and flirting with the Asian record.
With next year's Asian Games on the horizon, these performances offer a glimpse of athletes set to shape international competitions. For business and tech enthusiasts, the event underscores China's continued investment in world-class sports infrastructure. Travelers and sports fans worldwide are already eyeing Shenzhen as a rising destination for major events and sports tourism.
As the 2025 National Games wrap up, the stories of Zhang, Ho and others highlight the power of sport to inspire young global citizens, spark cross-cultural connections and set the stage for the world's next wave of champions.
Reference(s):
Zhang adds swimming gold to Jiangsu's haul, Ho makes Hong Kong history
cgtn.com
