BEIJING, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- Here are the latest Chinese sports headlines from the past week:
1. China clinches silver in women's sabre team at Fencing World Championships
China's women's sabre team claimed silver at the 2026 Fencing World Championships on July 29 after losing 45-41 to Hungary in the final.
The result matched China's best-ever finish in the event, equaling the silver medal won at the 2003 world championships.
China's team of Pan Qimiao, Rao Xueyi, Zhang Xinyi and Wei Jiayi made a strong start in the final. Pan, 17, gave China an early 5-2 lead, before Rao extended the advantage to 10-3 against Anna Spiesz.
Hungary responded through Luca Szucs, who sparked a comeback in the third bout to put her team ahead 15-13.
China stayed within striking distance throughout the contest. Pan cut the deficit from 30-38 to 36-39 in the eighth bout, while Rao brought China within three points at 41-44 in the final bout. Hungary, however, held its nerve and scored the decisive point to secure the title.
2. Hosts claim two golds at badminton China Open
Host China claimed two doubles titles as the China Open badminton tournament concluded in Changzhou on July 26.
The mixed doubles final was an all-Chinese showdown, with Guo Xinwa and Chen Fanghui outlasting top seeds and defending champions Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping in a grueling 87-minute battle to seize the title.
Guo and Chen won the first game 25-23, but squandered multiple chances in the second and allowed their opponents to level with a 22-20 comeback. They regrouped to take the decider 21-15.
It was Guo and Chen's second Super 1000 title since last year's All England Open. Chen said the pair had been struggling for form coming into the tournament, but their mutual support carried them through to victory.
In the women's doubles, Chinese duo Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning defended their crown with a 21-14, 21-19 victory over Japan's Yuki Fukushima and Mayu Matsumoto.
The win marked the young home pair's third Super 1000 title in four such tournaments they have entered this season.
3. China takes air rifle mixed team title at ISSF World Cup in Hangzhou
Host China claimed the 10m air rifle mixed team gold after an all-Chinese final at the 2026 ISSF World Cup on July 28.
The 10m air rifle mixed team event witnessed a nail-biting domestic showdown, as China's first pair of Wang Zifei and Sheng Lihao edged past the country's second team by just 0.4 points to take the title.
The two sides traded leads throughout the tight contest. China 1 built an early edge with 105.6 points in the opening stage, but China 2, comprising Du Yuchen and Zhang Changhong, bounced back to move ahead after the second round with 211.8 points versus 210.6.
The margin remained razor-thin through the third stage, before Wang and Sheng reclaimed the upper hand in the elimination rounds. The pair kept their composure in the final series to seal the gold with a total of 505.0 points, while their teammates finished with 504.6 for silver.
4. China exits men's VNL Finals
Host China was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the 2026 FIVB Volleyball Nations League Finals after suffering a 3-1 loss to unbeaten Japan on July 29.
Ranked 35th in the world, China finished last in the preliminary phase with a 1-11 record but qualified for the Finals as host nation, while world No. 4 Japan entered the knockout stage as the top seed after sweeping all 12 of its preliminary matches.
China came out aggressively, putting Japan under pressure with quick attacks and solid blocking to claim the opening set 25-23. The second set remained closely contested, but Japan's more consistent serve reception and defense helped it edge the host 25-23.
China struggled with unforced errors in the third set, allowing Japan to race to a 9-3 lead before taking the set 25-16. In the fourth, China fought back from a 7-3 deficit, with outside hitter Wang Bin leading the offense as the host moved ahead 20-19.
However, Japan proved more composed in the closing stages, capitalizing on several of China's errors to secure a 25-23 victory and advance to its third VNL semifinal.
5. Zheng Qinwen suffers first-round exit at WTA Washington Open
China's Zheng Qinwen was knocked out in the first round of the WTA 500 Washington Open on July 28, falling 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 to Alexandra Eala of the Philippines.
The 21-year-old Eala, currently ranked 28th in the world, had previously lost to Zheng in the semifinals of the 2023 Asian Games.
Eala broke Zheng's serve in the opening game, but the Chinese star responded with two breaks of her own to take the first set 6-4. The second set remained tight at 4-4 before Eala held serve and secured a decisive break to level the match.
In the decider, Eala took control by breaking Zheng in her first two service games. Although Zheng recovered one break, Eala broke again to take the set 6-1 and seal victory.
Zheng's compatriot Wang Xinyu lost to Russia's Liudmila Samsonova 6-2, 6-2 in the second round. ■
