(Zhang Yufei)
(Gong Xiangyu)
A total of 80 athletes from Jiangsu Province, nearly 10% of China’s 886-athlete team, will attend the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province.
Jiangsu athletes are 24.4 years old on average, with 60 of them participating in the Asian Games for the first time. Four athletes will make their third appearance: swimmer Zhang Yufei, relay runner Yuan Qiqi, softball player Chen Jia, and rugby player Chen Keyi. Additionally, seven athletes from the province have previously won championships in the Asia's biggest multi-sport event.
Several Jiangsu athletes will participate in the track and field events, including Wang Jianan and Shi Yuhao in long jump, Wang Zhen in high jump, Wang Qi and Zhao Jie in hammer throw, Sun Qihao in decathlon, Sui Gaofei in sprint, and Yuan Qiqi in sprint. Notably, Wang Jianan is the defending Asian Games champion and a gold medalist in men's long jump at World Athletics Championships last year.
Among the athletes, eventers Bao Yingfeng and Sun Huadong were both part of China’s team that finished ninth at Tokyo 2020, and chess player Wei Yi is the youngest ever to reach a rating of 2700.
Jiangsu also has an increasing number of players in team sports at the Asian Games, specifically in soccer, volleyball and basketball. The province has two players for men’s football, five in women’s football, two in women’s basketball, one in women’s 3x3 basketball, two in men’s volleyball, three in women’s volleyball, and one in beach volleyball.
Within the Chinese delegation, Jiangsu contributes five athletes to women's rugby, five to baseball, three to men's handball, and four to women's handball.
Jiangsu women's rugby team has excelled in national competitions in recent years. This season, nine Jiangsu athletes joined the national training team, with five ultimately being selected for the Asian Games.
Breakdancing and esports will make their debut at the Hangzhou Asian Games. Qi Xiangyu, an 18-year-old break-dancer from Jiangsu Province, is considered one of the most promising in the sport. He won the Outbreak competition in Slovakia in July, a milestone since the establishment of national team of breakdancing.
