On November 21, as the cauldron flame was gradually extinguished at the 15th National Games of the People's Republic of China (the 15th National Games), the first-ever edition jointly held by Guangdong and the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macao concluded amid joy and celebrations.

Sichuan sports delegation demonstrated outstanding competitive spirit and performance at the Games, earning 31 gold, 31 silver, and 48 bronze medals for a total of 110 medals—ranking seventh nationally in both gold medal and total medal counts. Additionally, the Sichuan sports delegation accumulated 2,593 points in competitive events, ranking fifth nationally. Moreover, Sichuan's delegation was also awarded the Sportsmanship Prize at the 15th National Games, achieving excellence in both athletic performance and sportsmanship standards.

Team Events Achieve Comprehensive Progress

At this National Games, the number of participating delegations increased from 37 during the 14th edition to 74, marking a significant intensification of competition. The Sichuan sports delegation adopted forward-looking strategies, leveraging the national initiative to develop winter sports to vigorously implement differentiated development approaches. Through innovation-driven measures, it has injected strong momentum for sustained breakthroughs in competitive sports. In the competitive events of these National Games, Sichuan's delegation ultimately secured 17 gold, 17 silver, and 29 bronze medals, totaling 63 medals.

In accordance with the relevant policies of the General Administration of Sport of China, medals earned at the 14th National Winter Games, the First National Youth Games for Football, Basketball, and Volleyball, and the First Youth Athletics Games are all counted toward the total medal tally of the current National Games. Across these three major events, Sichuan's delegation secured 14 gold, 14 silver, and 19 bronze medals, amounting to a total of 47 medals. Therefore, the Sichuan sports delegation won 31 gold, 31 silver, and 48 bronze medals at this National Games, totaling 110 medals and ranking seventh nationwide in both gold medal count and total medal tally. Additionally, the Sichuan sports delegation accumulated 2,593 points in competitive events, ranking fifth nationally.

Notably, the Sichuan sports delegation demonstrated excellence in both medal distribution and competitive performance, securing inaugural medals in multiple disciplines and reflecting a positive trend of coordinated development between established strengths and emerging sports with potential.

The Sichuan sports delegation performed particularly outstandingly in team events.

The women's field hockey team continued to carry forward the tenacious fighting spirit. They remained undefeated in the group stage and defeated their opponents 5 - 0 in the final to win the championship. In the basketball event, the delegation won one gold, one silver and three bronze medals. The U22 women's basketball team, jointly formed by Yuanda Meile Basketball Club and Beijing Normal University through the integration of sports and education, won the gold medal. The Sichuan diving team won a silver medal in the highly competitive diving events, demonstrating a solid foundation and good development momentum of Sichuan's diving sport.

The Sichuan badminton team advanced to the semi-finals in three team events. Among them, the adult women's team won a bronze medal, returning to the National Games podium after an interval of 32 years. The women's rugby team jointly built with Qingshen Senior High School in Meishan won a medal in this event for the first time. Team events including artistic swimming team, softball team, and the 10m air rifle mixed team all won bronze medals.

These achievements are not only a victory of teamwork but also reflect the effectiveness of Sichuan's talent-cultivation models, such as the integration of sports and education, and collaboration between sports institutions and society.

Meanwhile, the Sichuan sports delegation also achieved historic breakthroughs across multiple disciplines.

Freestyle BMX rider Wei Tianwang scored 95.10 points to claim the first gold for the Sichuan delegation, and his teammate Hai Yang secured the silver medal, making it another Sichuan one-two finish in the event. Weightlifter Yang Qiuxia claimed the historic first gold medal in the women's 71kg category at the National Games with a total lift of 263kg. The women's tennis doubles pair Wang Yafan and Jiang Xinyu claimed the championship in this event again after an interval of 20 years. The women's badminton doubles pair Zheng Yu and Zhang Shuxian secured the silver medal, achieving Sichuan's best result in a badminton individual event in 28 years. The five-member rhythmic gymnastics team claimed the gold medal with a top score of 26.65 points.

In the men's lightweight single sculls final of rowing, Gu Jiantao staged a last 200-meter comeback to claim gold, while in the men's single sculls final of rowing, Deng Zhiwei led from start to finish to secure the championship. This marked the first time in the Sichuan rowing team's 40-year history that its athletes ascended the top podium. Coastal rower Long Zhentao secured the silver medal in the men's single sculls, finishing merely 1.45 seconds behind the champion. These achievements collectively demonstrate Sichuan's balanced development across diverse sports disciplines.

Veterans Anchoring the Team While Rising Stars Charge Ahead

On November 18, the athletics arena of this year's National Games brought exciting news: in the women's 400m final, 20-year-old rising star Liu Yinglan from Sichuan's Zhongjiang County claimed a convincing victory with a personal best of 51.75 seconds, securing another gold for the Sichuan delegation.

The 400-meter race, often called the "most challenging distance" in track and field, demands a combination of explosive power, as well as exceptional speed, endurance, and sense of rhythm. Liu Yinglan demonstrated all these qualities in the final, taking the lead from the start, maintaining a steady rhythm on the curve, and unleashing a full sprint in the final straight to achieve a decisive overtake before the finish line. Her performance epitomizes the broader phenomenon of young athletes from the Sichuan delegation at the 15th National Games.

At the National Games, the Sichuan sports delegation competed in the preliminary rounds of 362 events across 31 sports disciplines. Among them, 899 athletes from 285 events in 30 sports disciplines advanced to the finals, achieving an advancement rate of 76.3 percent. Compared with the preliminary rounds of the 14th National Games, the number of qualified events increased by 38 (up 15.4 percent), and the number of advancing athletes grew by 157 (a 21.1 percent rise), setting a new historical record. The total number of participants ranked third nationwide, demonstrating Sichuan's profound foundation and comprehensive strength in sports.

More importantly, among the 899 athletes competing in the finals, 68 percent were young athletes aged 22 or under, forming the backbone of the Sichuan delegation. Athletes born in the 2000s have taken on key roles across multiple disciplines, and rising stars comprise over 80 percent of all medal-winning competitors, demonstrating Sichuan's robust talent pipeline in competitive sports.

Beyond Liu Yinglan, 23-year-old boxing "dark horse" Wang Xiaobao battled through the ranks to ultimately claim the gold medal in the men's 80kg category. At the table tennis events, 17-year-old rising stars Gao Yuxin and Xia Zhipeng teamed up effectively, defeating several top contenders to achieve Sichuan's best-ever result since the establishment of its table tennis team.

Yang Siqi, a 16-year-old young athlete who was the first to represent China in Olympic surfing, delivered a near-flawless performance to reaffirm her undisputed dominance in China's surfing circle. Shot put newcomer Chen Chengyu emerged as a dark horse, claiming the top title with a personal best of 20.37 meters. Previously unheralded, he did not even catch the attention of official photographers.

Moreover, "Little Sister" Song Angti, at just nine years old, became the youngest competitor across all events at this edition of the National Games, further highlighting the pronounced younger-aged composition within the Sichuan delegation. "We have established an echelon lineup where veterans anchor the team while rising stars charge ahead," stated an official from the Administration of Sport of Sichuan. The official also noted that all of this is closely linked to the strategic framework centered on the "633" events, focusing on Sichuan's strengths in short-distance, small-ball, lightweight, and agile sports, and encompassing a development system covering 47 major sports and 714 specific events (including winter sports).

While the young athletes shone brightly at the National Games, the seasoned veterans likewise lived up to their reputations.

The 27-year-old Zou Jingyuan won two gold medals and one bronze at the National Games, achieving a "three-peat" in the parallel bars event and cementing his status as the undisputed "Parallel Bars King". The 30-year-old Yang Lei demonstrated his enduring prowess and led the Sichuan men's 4×400m relay team to a dominant victory, successfully defending the National Games gold medal with an undisputed performance.

What is even more moving is the perseverance shown by the veterans on the field of play. Track cyclist Liu Jiali, competing in her third National Games, still secured one silver and one bronze medal despite fierce challenges from younger rivals. The 34-year-old boxing star Yang Wenlu fought her way through a field of rising contenders to claim a valuable bronze medal. Taekwondo athlete Song Jie competed through injury and overcame physical limitations with sheer determination to claim the silver medal. Boxer Wang Gang suffered a waist injury before the competition, but still managed to complete the competition successfully with tenacious perseverance. Badminton players Chen Lu and Yuan Anqi returned to competition after undergoing arduous rehabilitation following serious injuries.

"They have embodied the Sichuan sports spirit of 'Patriotism, Sichuan Sports Pride, Trailblazing, and Pursuit of Excellence' through their concrete actions," said the official from the Administration of Sport of Sichuan.