China Sports Weekly (8.10-8.16)

BEIJING, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Here are the latest Chinese sports headlines from the past week:

1. China defeats S. Korea to reach FIBA Asia Cup semifinals

China's men's basketball team edged South Korea 79-71 to reach the FIBA Asia Cup semifinals on Aug. 14.

Hu Jinqiu had a game-high 23 points and 11 rebounds. Wang Junjie finished with 21 points. Zhao Rui and Zhu Junlong added nine points apiece.

"Sorry about my left leg cramping in Q4, but thrilled with the team win. We shut down their key player, and I hope we take the title in the end," Wang said after the game.

"We gave it our all on the court this game. We hope to leave nothing on the court with no regrets. It meant the world to hear the roaring cheers from Chinese fans in the stands," Hu added.

Wang made a three pointer with 38 seconds left in the second quarter as China took the lead on 46-35 at the break. China increased the lead to 18 points in the third quarter before South Korea cut the deficit to six points with 51 seconds remaining in the final period. Liao Sanning answered with a step back jumper with 31 seconds left to help China seal the victory.

2. Former captain of China's national women's gymnastics team Shang wins women's freestyle parkour gold at Chengdu World Games.

China's Shang Chunsong clinched the women's freestyle parkour gold at The World Games 2025 on Wednesday after a dramatic scoring reversal that turned her initial second-place finish into a victory.

Competing alongside the Xinglong Lake, the former captain of China's national women's gymnastics team delivered a series of high-difficulty tricks, including 360-degree aerial flips. A small flaw in her second rotation cost her points, but the crowd erupted in applause at the end of her routine.

Shang's difficulty score came in at 13.5 points, with an initial execution score of 9.2. That gave her a provisional total of 22.7, 0.2 points behind Japan's Nene Nagai, placing her second.

"I knew there was a mistake, but after landing I was confident I'd still be the gold medalist," said the 29-year-old, who last year became the first Chinese athlete to win both the World Cup and World Championship in parkour.

3. Roller sports star Guo Dan back for fun at World Games.

After securing two golds and one silver at age of 23 at The World Games in 2013, China's roller sports star Guo Dan went on to win titles across World Championships and World Cups. She even took part in speed skating event at the 2018 and 2022 Winter Olympic Games but never returned to The World Games stage until now.

Although she has retired in 2024, the 34-year-old chose to make her comeback at The World Games 2025 in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province.

"After winning two golds, I reached the top of the world in roller sports in The World Games," said Guo, adding that she wanted to enjoy the competition this time at home.

Trying her best to skate across the finish line, Guo placed sixth in the women's 10,000m point race final on Tuesday and was eliminated from the women's 15,000m race on Wednesday.

Guo officially retired in 2024 and joined the Physical Education Department of Suzhou University of Science and Technology as a university teacher, believing her sports career was over.

"The World Games are held in China, which is great," said Guo.

"The athletes I compete against are about five to eight years younger than me, and I really enjoy this event," said Guo.

4. Engineers, bankers, lifeguards - part-time athletes define spirit of World Games.

The International World Games Association's mission to "engage with and inspire communities by promoting the positive values of sport" was on display during the 12th World Games in Chengdu, where athletes with diverse career backgrounds excelled in competitions, embodying dedication beyond the podium.

The first gold medal of the Games was awarded after the men's middle-distance orienteering final on Aug. 8. Swiss competitor Riccardo Rancan, a robotics software engineer, claimed the honor.

Though passionate about robotic technologies, Rancan prioritizes sports as essential to his life. His flexible work schedule allows him to train twice daily in orienteering.

As a multisport event for non-Olympic disciplines, the World Games provides a platform for part-time athletes like Rancan to shine. ■