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Eight students from South China Normal University won a total of 4 gold, 3 silver and 1 bronze medals at the 19th Asian Games that took place in Hangzhou from 23 September to 8 October 2023. Four teachers and one PhD graduate from SCNU took on the roles of technical officials and referees. Now, let’s discover their victories and their stories!
| Name | Event | Achievement |
| Shen Shuangmei | Women's Double Sculls | Gold |
| Ni Xulin & Nie Yide | Men's Eight Rowing | Gold |
| Liang Weikeng | Badminton Men's Team | Gold |
| Wang Xueer | Women's 50m Backstroke | Gold |
| Women's 100m Backstroke | Silver | |
| Zeng Wenhui | Women's Street Skateboarding | Silver |
| Liang Zhiwei | Men's Water Polo | Silver |
| Chen Qiaozhu | Women's Football | Bronze |
Eight students, all from the School of Physical Education and Sports Science, competed in the Hangzhou Asiad and each won at least one medal.
Medals winners
01 Rowing
Shen Shuangmei, a Grade 2021 student, won the Women's Double Sculls title with her partner Lu Shiyu on 24 September, the first day of the Games. Striking the 5th gold of Team China, she couldn’t help feeling: "The hard work of these years finally paid off."
Through good teamwork Shen and her partner secured the first place in the Women's Double Sculls of the 2023 World Rowing Cup II in Varese, with Shen claiming her first World Cup gold medal in her career. At the World Rowing Championships this September, she secured Team China a place in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, for which she now sets a goal of winning a prize.
Shen Shuangmei (on the left) and her partner.
In the Men's Eight Rowing Final, Grade 2019 undergraduate Ni Xulin and Grade 2023 undergraduate Nie Yide won the gold medal, together with their teammates.
The strict physical requirements for athletes in this game didn't stop Ni and Nie. To be qualified for the Hangzhou Asiad, Ni Xulin lost 7 kg in one week. At the same time, Nie, a newcomer to the Asian Games, also made full preparations and stuck strictly to the training plan. Ni's next goal is to fight for the qualification for the Paris Olympics, while Nie hopes to participate in more competitions for self-improvement.
The group photo of the Men's Eight Rowing Team
02 Badminton
Liang Weikeng, an undergraduate of the 2020 cohort, became the gold medalist of the Badminton Men’s Team. In the finals, Liang struggled hard with his partner, helping Team China stage an epic comeback from 0-2 down to a 3-2 victory against India.
What impressed Liang the most in the games were the two matches against Chinese Taipei and Japan. Both games were played after being down, but Liang and his partner overcame the stress and leveled the score for Team China. Although he feels regretful about the individual events, he will not give up but go straight for the Paris Olympics.
Liang Weikeng receives the award.
03 Swimming
In the women's 50 m and 100 m backstroke final, Wang Xueer, a Grade 2020 postgraduate, won one gold and one silver medal respectively.
Wang feels fulfilled for her achievements at the Asian Games, as she made a breakthrough of 0.2 seconds in the 50 m backstroke. Although she regretted not picking the gold in the dominant event, the women’s 100 m backstroke, she thanked this experience for letting her reflect on herself and adjust her training plan.
Wang plans to have a complete physical examination and take some rest after the Asian Games. During the first half of the year she suffered an injury which needs time and rest to heal. Her physical condition permitting, she will take part in the 1st Student (Youth) Games of the People’s Republic of China as part of the school team later in the year. Meanwhile, she will also strive to qualify for the Paris Olympics. Looking further, she hopes to be a teacher at SCNU, bridging sports teams and universities.
Wang Xueer wins the gold medal in the 50 m backstroke competition.
04 Skateboarding
Grade 2023 undergraduate Zeng Wenhui claimed silver at the Women's Street Skateboarding event. Though she is only eighteen, she has already been a veteran with rich experience, feeling both happy and regretful for this silver medal. She loves skateboarding and has devoted her time and effort to skateboarding for many years. However, she admits there is still room to grow and she is determined to make improvements.
She hopes skateboarding as a sport can develop and thrive in China, "Leave no regrets to our passion and love! Go China Skateboarding!"
Zeng Wenhui competes in the Women's Street Final of Skateboarding.
05 Football
The Chinese women's national football team defeated Uzbekistan 7:0 in the competition for the third place. Chen Qiaozhu scored twice, widening the lead. This is the first time Chen attended the Asian Games. She scored 3 goals for Team China. She found it rewarding to score goals for the national team and hoped she could keep on trying her best.
One of her most memorable matches was the one against Japan. No one was in particularly good shape in the first half, but then they tried their best to narrow the gap. The outcome might be a little disappointing, but they will learn from their mistakes and make improvements next time.
Chen in the match.
Impartial Referees
Four teachers of SCNU from the School of Physical Education and Sports Science contributed to the 19th Asian Games as technical officials.
A photo of Qu Ming
Qu Ming, a swimming instructor, Master Tutor and international referee of swimming, worked as the technical official of the Marathon Swimming event during the Hangzhou Asian Games. Practising as a swimming referee for more than 30 years, Qu has participated in many important events such as the FINA World Championships, Asian Swimming Championships and the Asian Games.
According to Qu, referees must fully prepare for every match, know all the rules and judging methods, and be impartial and serious about their work.
Shen (on the far left) takes pictures with athletes.
Associate professors Shen Yupeng and Du Ning, the technical officials of the swimming and volleyball competitions, impressed the world with their unbiased work, promoting exchange and communication between athletes from different countries.
Du (left) serves as a referee for the volleyball event.
Yang Hui, a lecturer at the School of Physical Education and Sports Science, acted as a technical official for the Dragon Boat event. He adhered to the principles "equitable, accurate and efficient", followed the spirit of the dragon boat event "pull together; outdo yourselves to excel", and ensured safe and fair refereeing. He aims to gather experience for China dragon boating, thereby expanding and developing the sport further.
Yang Hui works at the Dragon Boat event.
Source from SCNU News Center
Translated by He Anqi, Luo Xiaoying
Proofread by Edwin Baak
Edited by Wang Yingmin
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