September 22, 12:04CGTN

Liu Dawen returns after eight years away and wins gold medal in Wushu at Asian Games

Chinese athlete Liu Dawen returned to international wushu competitions after an eight-year break and won the gold medal in the overall standings of Taijiquan and Taijitzhian disciplines at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya.

After his triumph, Liu shared his thoughts with Shen Xiang from CGTN Sports Scene, discussing his return after a difficult period in his career and outlining his future goals.

Liu competed first in the Taijiquan round, scoring 9,780 points. He then entered last in the Taijitzhian round, earning an additional 9,780 points, which allowed him to finish with a total score of 19,560 points and win gold.

This victory marked Liu's first international appearance since the Taijiquan World Championships in 2018. The following year, his career experienced a downturn as he struggled to reach finals in domestic competitions; however, he focused on studying and training Taijiquan to return to competition.

Liu noted that the pressure of competing last in Taijitzhian was alleviated by communicating with his coach, which helped him remain calm before stepping onto the mat.

This Chinese martial arts master dedicated the gold medal to his mother, who previously participated in long-distance running. Planning for the future, Liu is targeting next year's World Championships and the World Cup a year later, aiming for a 'Grand Slam.'

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www.aajtak.inSeptember 21, 07:32

13-year-old swimmer Yu Jidi breaks record by winning gold medal at Asian Games

China's 13-year-old swimmer Yu Jidi won the gold medal in the women's 200-meter butterfly event at the Asian Games 2026, delivering an outstanding performance.

In the final match held at the Tokyo Aquatics Center, Yu Jidi set a new Asian Games record by clocking a time of 2 minutes 05.08 seconds.

Yu Jidi surpassed the record of 2:05.57 seconds set by China's Olympic champion Zhang Yufei at the Hangzhou Asian Games 2022. She secured the gold medal by defeating her teammate Chang Mohan by more than three seconds, while Japan's Misa Okuzono won the bronze medal.

This is not Yu Jidi's first major international appearance; last year at the World Swimming Championships held in Singapore, she became the youngest medalist at the age of just 12. In that competition, she was part of China's bronze-medal-winning 4x200-meter freestyle relay team and also finished fourth in three individual events.

Earlier this year, Yu Jidi had defeated American Olympic champion Regan Smith in the 200-meter butterfly. Now, on her debut at the Asian Games, she has also set a record with an individual gold medal.

Notably, Yu Jidi will turn 14 next month. The 200-meter butterfly was her first individual event at the Asian Games, and she still has two other individual events to participate in.

Despite the victory, Yu Jidi did not appear completely satisfied with her performance, describing it merely as 'okay.' She believes she has the potential to perform even better. With 13 years old, having become an Asian Games champion and record holder, all eyes are now on Yu Jidi worldwide.

cgtn.comSeptember 15, 07:49

Wang Shuang helped China secure a 5-1 victory in the opening match of the Asian Games in Haiti-Nagoa

China began its women's football tournament at the Asian Games in Haiti-Nagoa by securing a convincing 5-1 victory over the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Monday. Wang Shuang played a key role in this victory, scoring two goals and providing two assists.

In the first half of the match, China dominated and took the lead within 14 minutes. Former winger for PSG and Tottenham, Wang Shuang helped create space for Chen Qiaozhu, who converted a long-range shot. However, HKSAR managed to respond in the 31st minute, capitalizing on a defensive error to equalize the score.

China regained the advantage seven minutes after the opponent's goal: Si Yu scored with a header from a Zhang Rui corner, allowing the team to finish the first half with a score of 2-1.

In the second half, China completely controlled the game, which ultimately cemented the result. The substitution of Wang Yanwen immediately influenced the course of the game. Three minutes after entering the field, she received a pass from Wang Shuang in midfield and finished the attack, increasing the lead to 3-1.

Subsequently, Wang Shuang herself scored a goal. In the 79th minute, she scored after receiving the ball at a sharp angle, although the ball slightly deviated while entering the net. In the 89th minute, the veteran added a second goal while China was attacking near the opponent's penalty area.

The 31-year-old athlete concluded the match having been directly involved in four of the team's five goals. After the game, she emphasized that the result was more important to her than her personal contribution, noting the team's patience as an important quality.

China is participating in Group G alongside HKSAR, Uzbekistan, and the Philippines. The Philippines and Uzbekistan drew their first match 1-1, resulting in China becoming the only team in the group to earn three points in the first round of matches.

The tournament features 12 teams divided into three groups. The top two teams from each group, along with the two best third-placed teams, will advance to the quarter-finals.

China's next match is scheduled against Uzbekistan on Thursday, after which the team will conclude the group stage with matches against the Philippines on September 21.