CHENGDU, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) — Host China added 14 more gold medals to its collection on the ninth day of competition at the Chengdu Universiade on Sunday, bringing their total number of golds to a record-breaking 90. This is 70 golds more than Japan, the closest competitor.
China’s triumph came from various sports. They secured four gold medals in rowing, track and field, and swimming. Additionally, they won one gold each in fencing, tennis, volleyball, and diving.
In a remarkable surge, Poland climbed from sixth to fourth in the medal standings after winning seven gold medals. Three came from rowing, two from track and field, and two from swimming. This brings their total gold count to 15.
Turkey also experienced a rise in the medal standings due to their gold medals in track and field and rowing. They now have 11 gold medals, moving up from eighth to sixth.
Chinese Taipei earned three gold medals in tennis, taking their total gold count to nine. However, their ranking dropped from sixth to eighth in the tally.
The United States claimed their first gold in Chengdu through Keaton Jones in the men’s 200m backstroke swimming event.
In the highly anticipated women’s volleyball final, China defeated Japan in straight sets.
China’s dominance extended to the swimming pool with three additional gold medals. Li Bingjie, the Olympic champion, emerged victorious in the women’s 800m freestyle. Qin Haiyang and Liu Yaxin, both world champions, also contributed one gold medal each.
“Although I am tired today and not in the best shape, I am satisfied with my performance. My main goal is to secure my place rather than chase a new record,” Li told Xinhua.
Liu, 25, finished the women’s 200m freestyle with a time of one minute and 56.84 seconds, just 0.66 seconds away from her personal best set in March. She said, “Given the tight schedule, I am pleased with today’s performance. I have one more competition left, and I will give my best to conclude my Universiade campaign tomorrow.”
In the men’s 50m breaststroke, Qin took an early lead and maintained it, finishing in 26.53 seconds. Although slower than his semifinal race, Qin expressed that it was expected due to fatigue from consecutive competitions. He has now secured all men’s breaststroke golds at the FISU Games.
In track and field, China claimed three more titles in men’s long jump, men’s and women’s 4x100m relays. Zhang Jingqiang won the men’s long jump gold with a season-best jump of 7.93 meters. Chinese runners also emerged victorious in the men’s and women’s 4x100m relay events, finishing in 38.80 and 43.70 seconds, respectively.
Chen Guanfeng, a member of the winning men’s 4x100m relay team, said, “Our next target is to break the national record and achieve the best at the upcoming Asian Games.” Liang Xiaojing, Ge Manqi, Cai Yanting, and Li Yuting from the women’s 4x100m relay team believed their hard work paid off. Li stated, “We trained hard to prepare for the events. We are still young, and there will be more possibilities in the future.”
Credit: The Star : News Feed
