China Sports Weekly (7.20-7.26)

BEIJING, July 12 (Xinhua) -- Here are the latest Chinese sports headlines from the past week:

1. Torch relay for 2025 World Games starts in Sichuan

The World Games celebrated a milestone on July 26 as its historic first torch relay was held in southwest China's Sichuan Province, ahead of the 12th edition of the event to be hosted in Chengdu.

The inaugural flame was lit at the iconic Sanxingdui Museum using photovoltaic energy storage, a nod to the event's low-carbon commitment.

The flame will be relayed in three cities in Sichuan, namely Chengdu, Deyang and Meishan before being preserved for the opening ceremony on August 7.

2. China bags three golds in artistic swimming at world aquatics championships

China wrapped up the artistic swimming competitions at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore on July 25 with four gold and three silver medals.

China completed a clean sweep of all three team events, clinching gold in the team free, team technical, and team acrobatic routines. Their final victory came on July 25 with a stunning "Soul of the Terracotta Army" acrobatic performance that scored 229.0186 points. Earlier, the free routine "Gravitation" and a flawless, Wukong-inspired technical routine had proved China's rise in the discipline.

Xu Huiyan played a starring role, delivering a historic win in the women's solo technical, scoring 272.9917 points to claim China's first world title in the event. She later added a silver in the solo free final, making her one of the most decorated athletes of the championships while contributing to the team's golden sweep.

3. China crushes South Korea to claim bronze at FIBA Women's Asia Cup

China wrapped up its 2025 FIBA Women's Asia Cup campaign in dominant fashion, routing South Korea 101-66 in the third-place game on July 20.

Determined to finish on a high note after a semifinal loss to Japan, China started strong and never looked back, while experimented with various lineups, alternating between a small-ball unit without a center and a twin-tower setup featuring Han Xu and Zhang Ziyu.

At the post-game press conference, China head coach Gong Luming described the Asia Cup as a "quiz" within the broader preparation cycle for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. He also noted that he had picked up some tactical ideas from Japan, Australia and South Korea during the tournament - insights he said would be valuable for the development of China's younger players.

4. China sits second on medal tally at Rhine-Ruhr Universiade

China ranks second on the medal table at the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 University Games as of July 25, with 23 gold, 21 silver, and 13 bronze medals as the Games closes on July 27.

Diving, a traditional Chinese stronghold, has delivered the bulk of the nation's success, with 12 golds and eight silvers. Wang Weiying was the standout diver with three golds and one silver round her neck, and Ai Yanhan added a women's 100m freestyle gold alongside three silver in the pool.

Yet the powerhouse in table tennis only bagged two golds in women's singles and doubles through Zhao Shang and Han Fei'er/Wang Xiaotong. In taekwondo, China collected four golds, two silvers and three bronzes. Shu Heng claimed China's first athletics gold with an 8.09 m long jump.

On July 25, China defeated the United States 81-69 in the women's basketball final, adding to its silver in women's 3x3 basketball.

5. China secures women's, mixed doubles golds in advance at badminton China Open

Host China has secured titles in women's doubles and mixed doubles in advance while favorite Shi Yuqi also made it to the men's singles final at the China Open on July 26.

In mixed doubles, top seeds Feng Yanzhe/Huang Dongping beat compatriots Guo Xinwa/Chen Fanghui 21-17, 21-11, while Jiang Zhenbang/Wei Yaxin edged Indonesia's Jafar Hidayatullah/Felisha Pasaribu 21-16, 15-21, 21-16, ensuring an all-Chinese final.

China dominated women's doubles, with Jia Yifan/Zhang Shuxian rallying past Malaysia's Pearly Tan/Thinnah Muralitharan 14-21, 21-17, 21-17. Top seeds Liu Shengshu/Tan Ning cruised to a 21-10, 21-12 win over South Korea's Kim Hye-jeong/Kong Hee-yong, setting up another all-Chinese final.

In men's singles, Shi Yuqi fought back to overcome Chinese Taipei's Chou Tien-chen 13-21, 21-20, 22-20 in a thriller to reach the final.

The remaining semifinals will be played in the evening session on July 26.

6. Chinese center Yang Hansen to skip FIBA Asia Cup, focus on development in Portland

The Chinese Basketball Association announced on July 24 that promising young center Yang Hansen will not participate in the national team's training camp or the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup, allowing him to focus on his development with the Portland Trail Blazers.

Yang, who recently competed in the NBA Summer League, asked to skip the international tournament to attend two short training camps hosted by the Trail Blazers beginning Aug. 11.

The association added that the scheduling conflict between the Trail Blazers' camps and the FIBA Men's Asia Cup, held between Aug. 5-17, prompted a decision to prioritize Yang's long-term development.■