Ningbo athletes make strong showing at National Games

Team Zhejiang claims gold in the men's 4×100m freestyle relay at the 15th National Games. [Photo/cnnb.com.cn]

The swimming competition of the 15th National Games opened with a strong showing from Zhejiang, led by Ningbo athletes.

In the women's 4×100m freestyle relay final, Yu Yiting and her teammates narrowly missed gold, finishing 0.1 seconds behind Shandong to claim silver. Ningbo's Kong Yaqi and Yan Yaoshan, who swam in the heats, also shared the medal.

The men's 4×100m freestyle relay then brought Zhejiang its first gold of the Games, as He Junyi, Shen Jiahao, Pan Zhanle, and Ningbo's Wang Shun clocked 3 minutes and 15.01 seconds.

For Wang, the victory was historic. The 31-year-old Olympic champion now owns 16 National Games gold medals, the most in the event's 66-year history. Competing in his fifth Games, he continues to extend his record. To focus on the relay, Wang withdrew from the men's 100m breaststroke semifinal despite qualifying in the morning heats. "Today I wanted to prioritize the team event. I’ll keep working hard, race by race," he said.

Zhejiang's other medals came from Fei Liwei (bronze, men's 400m freestyle) and Liu Yaxin (bronze, women's 400m freestyle).

By the end of the first day, Zhejiang swimmers had secured one gold, one silver, and two bronze, reaffirming the province's reputation as a national swimming powerhouse.