Confident 'kids' games' changers

Moments after China's Chen Yuanjiang crossed the finish line first in the men's 110-meter hurdles final at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, he let out a cry that was indicative of the nation's new youthful sporting confidence.

The 20-year-old clocked 13.15 seconds to win gold, then turned toward the stadium stands in Nagoya, Japan, and shouted — "Who is first? China!"

It was an unfiltered burst of emotion on that rainy night — confident, youthful and unmistakably personal.

His scream of joy was an insight into a new generation of Chinese athletes that emerged in Nagoya. They were not only winning medals and breaking records, but also showing a growing confidence on the international stage — composed, exuberant and unafraid to express themselves.

The terms "little brother" and "little sister", affectionate expressions to describe young Chinese athletes, became popular terms on social media during the Games.

Of the 815 athletes on China's delegation, 548 were competing at an Asian Games for the first time, while athletes born in 2005 or later accounted for 27 percent of the delegation.

China finished at the top of the medal table with 169 gold, 89 silver and 83 bronze medals, its biggest gold medal haul at an Asian Games held outside China.

But beyond the numbers, Nagoya showed how these young athletes are learning to compete, win and overcome setbacks with the Los Angeles Olympics less than two years away.

Tough testing ground

For many young athletes, the Asian Games were their first experience of competing under the spotlight at a major international event.

"Before that, they may be known only by their coaches, teammates, opponents and people who follow their sport. At the Asian Games, a much wider audience began to notice them," Yu Siyuan, an assistant professor at the division of sports science and physical education at Tsinghua University, told China Youth Daily.

Unlike single-sport championships, a multisport event gives young athletes a chance not only to test themselves, but also to learn how to handle pressure and experience what it means to represent their country as part of a larger delegation, Yu said.

He cited swimmer Pan Zhanle as an example, saying that from the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games to the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics and then Nagoya, Pan had shifted from proving himself to delivering consistently under growing expectations about his performances.

However, Yu cautioned against making medals the sole measure of young athletes' success.

"We should not give young athletes the impression that winning is a matter of course or that only a gold medal counts as a passing grade," he said. The hope, he added, is that the stories of the Asian Games will inspire young people to carry their enthusiasm for sport into everyday life.

Thirteen-year-old swimmer Yu Zidi became one of the most talked-about young athletes of the Games.

She was named the women's Most Valuable Player of the Asian Games, becoming the youngest MVP in its history after winning three individual gold medals.

"As a young athlete, this honor is an affirmation and, more importantly, an encouragement to young athletes," she said.

She also expressed a wish to work with young athletes from across Asia to encourage more young people to take up swimming.

Another Chinese swimmer, 19-year-old Zhang Zhanshuo, produced an even bigger haul.

Zhang won seven gold medals, becoming the first swimmer to win seven golds at a single Asian Games. After his seventh gold, he counted from one to seven with his fingers for the cameras.

Yet, Zhang gave himself 85 out of 100 for his first Asian Games, citing shortcomings in his turns and overall ability. "Once you step down from the podium, everything starts from zero," Zhang said.

His next targets are the 2027 World Aquatics Championships in Budapest and the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics.