DAKAR, Nov. 3 (Xinhua) -- Chinese swimmer Chang Mohan missed out on gold by just 0.71 seconds at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, but the 15-year-old found plenty to celebrate beyond her silver medal.
From encouragement offered by teammates at the pool to friendships forged with athletes from other sports and countries, Chang's Olympic debut has become an experience extending far beyond competition.
On Monday morning, Chang faced a difficult start to her women's 200-meter breaststroke campaign at Dakar's Complexe Tour de l'Oeuf, where intense sunshine, warm water and lingering jet lag made conditions particularly demanding.
"The warm water temperature and intense UV rays left you feeling almost lightheaded in the pool," Chang said.
"The blazing sun really made it harder for your neural system to fully fire up," she added.
The conditions took a toll on competitors, with the Philippines' Riannah Chantelle Coleman collapsing from exhaustion after her heat and requiring assistance from medical staff.
As Chang prepared to race, a familiar voice rang out from near the starting blocks.
"Go, Chang Mohan!" shouted teammate Xie Yichen, who had just completed his men's 100m freestyle heat.
The encouragement brought a smile to Chang's face.
"He was honestly just acting like a goofball up there," she joked afterward. "We were both trying our hardest to adapt this morning. I think he saw how tired I was, so he cheered me on from the pool deck to help me relax."
Both swimmers arrived in Dakar with considerable international experience despite their young age.
Chang, one of China's flagbearers at the opening ceremony, claimed silver in the women's 200m butterfly at the 2026 Asian Games before winning gold in the same event at the Baku leg of the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup in October.
Xie, 16, claimed bronze in the men's 100m individual medley at China's 2026 National Swimming Championships in a national junior record of 52.49 seconds. He also helped Zhejiang win the mixed 4x100m medley relay in an Asian-record 3:36.00.
Both made the podium on their opening day in Dakar.
Xie took silver in the men's 100m freestyle in 50.18 seconds before turning his attention to Chang's race, briefly interrupting his mixed-zone interview to watch his teammate compete.
"At a major meet like this, we're not just teammates, but also good friends," Xie told Xinhua. "We are both representing China. I really wanted to be there for her to give each other that extra bit of support."
For Chang, having a familiar face nearby has helped her adjust to an unfamiliar environment.
"Xie is older than me, and he brings a lot more competitive experience and a much steadier mindset," she said. "Whenever I run into anything I'm not used to over here, we talk it through and figure out how to face it together."
That sense of camaraderie has extended beyond the swimming team.
At the Youth Olympic Village, Chang shares a room with athletes from other disciplines, including coastal rower Liu Lili, who partnered Su Juntao to win China's first gold medal of the Games in the mixed double sculls beach sprint final on Monday.
"Four of us in the dorm came from different sports, such as swimming, rowing and judo," Chang said. "We'd speak about what our daily training and routines looked like. We'd sit in front of the electric fan to cool off and chat. It's actually a great way to relax."
Chang said she had been unaware that Liu was preparing for a gold-medal race when they spoke the previous evening.
Instead, their conversations focused on the demands of training and the different challenges faced by athletes in their respective sports.
"She told us how tough the coastal rowing training is. I think they accumulate lactic acid to an even higher level than we do in swimming. Her willpower and drive in training are really on another level," Chang said.
She laughed as she recalled looking forward to seeing her roommate's gold medal when they reunited at the village.
Chang came close to winning one of her own later Monday.
In the women's 200m breaststroke final, she touched the wall in 2:27.21, finishing just 0.71 seconds behind Japan's Mana Ishikawa.
The narrow defeat left Chang visibly disappointed, her eyes briefly filling with tears as she emerged from the pool.
But the silver medal also strengthened her determination to improve.
"I hope to stand on the top step of the podium. Having gone through today's experience, I'm confident I can keep building momentum and perform even better in the upcoming events," she said.
For Chang, however, the Youth Olympics offer something that results alone cannot measure.
"Everything still feels so fresh. Beyond the competition, I just want to soak it all in, and to connect with other athletes my age," she said.
"Since it is an Olympic event, representing my country on this stage fills me with immense pride."
That spirit was evident after the breaststroke final, when Chang exchanged commemorative pins with gold medalist Ishikawa and bronze medalist Chanel Veldsman, turning competitors into new acquaintances.
"We're all the same age, so we'll probably be racing each other for the rest of our careers," Chang said.
Rather than viewing her rivals solely as opponents, she sees them as athletes from whom she can learn.
"Competing alongside them really opens my eyes to where I stand and what I can learn from them, like how they adapt to the environment here in Dakar, how they structure their daily training, and how they reset their mindset during a race," she said. ■
