Chinese delegation wins four gold medals on the opening day at Universiade

Cao Maoyuan wins the gold medal with 9.770 points in the Men's Nanquan of Wushu at the 31st FISU World University Games on July 29, 2023. This is the first gold medal of the Chengdu Universiade and also the first gold medal won by the Chinese delegation. Photo: Cui Meng/GT

The Chinese delegation has won four gold medals at the 31st FISU World University Games on the opening day, with the first gold claimed by Cao Maoyuan in Men's Nanquan of Wushu.

The second gold came only one hour later by Song Cuifang in the Women's Nandao, then the third champion in the afternoon by Jin Zhedian in Men's Changquan.

Chen Xiaoli won the fourth gold medal in the Women's Taijiquan.

I'm very honored and proud of taking part in the games and getting the gold medal. I hope the Wushu competition can let more people know about and fall in love with charming sports, Cao told reporters at a press conference on Saturday following the competition.

As a local resident in Sichuan, I'm very happy and welcome all the young athletes from other countries to come to my hometown, he added.

China's Ministry of Education on Saturday also sent a congratulatory letter to the Chinese delegation for the first champion, encouraging the Chinese athletes to continue to achieve excellence in both sports performance and sportsmanship.

The Wushu competition of the Universiade, is being held at the Chengbei Gymnasium in the city of Chengdu of Southwest China's Sichuan Province, consisting of Nanquan, Changquan, Taijiquan, Gunshu, Daoshu, Taijijian, Jianshu, Qiangshu, Nandao and Sanda.

Athletes from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) claimed two Wushu medals on Saturday morning, a gold in Men's Taijijian by Hui Tak Yan Samuei and a silver in by Lau Chi Lung Men's Nanquan.

"I had never thought I could win the first medal for the HKSAR delegation and I'm very honored," Lau Chi Lung told the Global Times on Saturday.

Cao Maoyuan and I are old friends.. We from time to time trained together as I've come to the Chinese mainland and he's been to Hong Kong," he said. The Global Times also noticed how sports connected people's hearts altogether when the Japanese athlete Ebina Tohma in the Taijijian competition immerged himself in the sword-dance performance along with the background music Butterfly Lovers, China's version of Romeo and Juliet, the entire audience started clapping along with the rhythm to cheer for Tohma.

"I was a little bit nervous at the beginning but very satisfied when finishing the performance," Tohma, the third winner of Men's Taijijian, told the Global Times. He said that he felt so good when the background music started.

He added that he really loves the foods and climate of Chengdu.

The 31st FISU World University Games, which runs from July 28 to August 8, is the first major international sports event being held in China in the post-epidemic era.

Delegations from 113 countries and regions are participating in the games with over 6,500 athletes competing in 18 sports. The Chinese delegation, which consists of more than 700 people, includes 411 athletes from more than 100 universities.