China dominates 16th World Wushu Championships

FORT WORTH, United States, Nov. 22 (Xinhua) -- The 16th World Wushu Championships (WWC) came to an end Monday in Fort Worth, Texas, with China topping the gold medal tally with 15.

Athletes from China garnered seven golds in Taolu and eight golds in Sanda in various weight categories.

Vietnam and Macao, China finished joint second with five golds each, plus three silvers and three bronzes for Vietnam, and two silvers and four bronzes for Macao, China.

China also topped the overall medal tally with 15, followed by Vietnam, China's Macao, Malaysia and Indonesia each on 11.

Zhang Qingchun of China in action during the men's Qiangshu event at the 16th World Wushu Championships (WWC) in Fort Worth, the United States, on Nov. 19, 2023. (Photo by Dan Tian/Xinhua)

Asian countries and regions dominated the competition, sweeping the top ten in the gold medal list.

Among European teams, Italy performed best, ranking 11th in the medal tally with one gold, one silver and two bronze medals.

Yao Yang of Shanxi, China, who took gold in the women's Jianshu event, appeared shy under the spotlight.

"I'm grateful to my coach for his guidance and help all the time, especially for relieving my nervousness before the competition so that I can perform to my best level," Yao told Xinhua.

"I'm proud to bring back to France the silver medal," said men's 75kg Sanda athlete Yoan Benbedra.

Gold medalist Yao Yang (C) of China poses on the podium after the women's Jianshu event. (Photo by Dan Tian/Xinhua)

However, the nine-time French champion said he was sad for missing out on the gold, after having struggled to recover from leg injury incurred last month at the World Combat Games in Riyadh.

"It blows my mind to see those talents from around the world. They stand so high," remarked Zac Ladkin of Britain, who was taking part in the WWC for the first time.

"It is amazing. This is the highest level in the world. We have a good trained team to represent our country. I am so happy to be here," Edinea Prado Camargo, a 34-year-old Sanda athlete representing Brazil, told Xinhua, adding that she was happy that the 17th World Wushu Championship in 2025 will be held in her country's capital, Brasilia.

"My dream came true," she said, "I have been dreaming about that. I hope the World Wushu championships could someday be held in my country, then I can invite my family and friends to watch."

During the championships, IWUF Secretary-General Zhang Qiuping told Xinhua that the organization plans to introduce advanced AI technology into international martial arts competitions by 2026, in a bid to overcome language barriers and enhance the objectivity and authority of the scoring mechanism.