BEIJING, Nov. 15 (Xinhua) -- Here are the latest Chinese sports headlines from the past week:
1. China's first cross-boundary National Games opens with splendor, unity
Chinese President Xi Jinping declared the 15th National Games open at the Guangdong Olympic Sports Center on November 9, marking the first time the country's premier multi-sport event has been jointly hosted by Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao.
The opening ceremony, attended by International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Kirsty Coventry and IOC Honorary President Thomas Bach, blended official proceedings with cultural performances, showcasing the vitality of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, one of China's most open and economically dynamic regions.
The cauldron was lit jointly by the final torchbearers: Guangdong sprinter Su Bingtian, Hong Kong Olympic fencing champion Cheung Ka Long and Macao Asian Games wushu gold medalist Li Yi.
Running through November 21, the Games features 419 gold medal events in 34 competition sports for elite athletes, while 166 gold medals will be on offer in 23 amateur competitions and exhibition events.
2. IOC president hails China's sports culture, Olympic legacy
IOC President Coventry has praised China's sporting culture, infrastructure, and continued contribution to the Olympic Movement during her first visit to the country since assuming office in June.
Coventry led an IOC delegation to China from November 8 to 13 and shared her impressions of the National Games with Xinhua on November 12.
"There are so many things that stood out," she said. "From the opening ceremony, it was just incredible. It was a magnificent showcase of culture, sport and technology."
"China has always been an incredibly strong partner," Coventry noted. "There are so many extraordinary things that the Olympic Movement is learning consistently from China."
Coventry, the IOC's first female and African president, reaffirmed her intention to strengthen cooperation with China. "We will definitely look forward to continuing and even deepening that collaboration so that best practices can be shared with the rest of the world," she said.
3. Yu Zidi, 13, breaks Asian record in women's 200m medley at National Games
13-year-old Yu Zidi of north China's Hebei Province won the women's 200m individual medley at the country's 15th National Games on November 11, clocking a new Asian record time of two minutes 7.41 seconds.
In May, Yu secured a berth for the World Championships in Shenzhen after finishing second in the event at the National Swimming Championships in 2:10.63, the fastest time ever by a 12-year-old in the discipline.
The previous Asian record of 2:07.57 was set by Ye Shiwen at the 2012 London Olympics.
4. Chinese tennis ace Zheng Qinwen skips National Games
Reigning Olympic tennis champion Zheng Qinwen has withdrawn from China's 15th National Games, the Hubei sports delegation announced on November 12.
The Paris 2024 gold medalist had previously signed up to compete in both the women's singles and doubles events for the Games. She had also served as flagbearer at the opening ceremony on November 9 for her home province Hubei.
An official with the Hubei delegation told Xinhua that after Zheng's arrival in Guangdong, the medical team assessed her condition and found that her right elbow joint had not yet fully recovered, making her unable to meet the demands of intense competition.
Zheng underwent elbow surgery in July following a first-round loss at Wimbledon. The 23-year-old missed the US Open and several other tournaments before attempting her comeback at the China Open, where she retired in the third set of her third-round match due to injury.
5. China's shooters Liu, Yao/Hu extend golden dominance at ISSF World Championship
Reigning Olympic champion Liu Yukun, together with Yao Qianxun and Hu Kai, led another triumphant day for China at the 2025 International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) Rifle/Pistol World Championships on November 11 in Cairo.
Continuing China's commanding form, Liu won the men's 50-meter rifle three positions title and the duo of Yao and Hu captured the 10-meter air pistol mixed team gold later in the day, both edging Indian opponents in tight finals.
Yao also topped the women's 10m air pistol final with 243.0 points on November 10.
China won gold and silver in the 10m air rifle mixed team on November 9, with Wang Zifei and Sheng Lihao defeating compatriots Peng Xinlu and Wang Honghao.
The shooting worlds runs through November 18. China currently leads the medal table with 10 golds, seven silvers and two bronzes. ■
