China thrills fans to claim gold

By Lu Wenao Source:Global Times Published: 2014-8-22 22:58:01

Young swimmer bags three medals in Nanjing


Chinese swimmer Li Guangyuan celebrates after winning the boys' 200 meters backstroke final on Friday at the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing. Photo: Cui Meng/GT



The Chinese team thrilled home fans on Friday night as they delivered gold in the culminating swimming event at the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu Province.

Li Guangyuan, He Yun, Zhang Yuefei and Yu Hexin finished in 3:54.01 to win the prestigious gold medal of the mixed 4x100 meters medley relay.

Li also won gold medal at the boys' 200 meters backstroke earlier on Friday. He finished third in the boys' 100 meters backstroke competition on Monday.

"I'm very happy," Li said. "A total of three medals for me, that's amazing."

The 17-year-old is also fixing his ambitions on this year's Asian Games, which will begin in Incheon, South Korea in the middle of September.

"Actually this is my first time to compete in an international event, but it goes well," Li said. "I hope I can do better at the Asian Games."

He also admitted he wants to represent China in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

Yu was the silver medalist in the boys' 100 meters freestyle with 49.06 seconds, only 0.81 seconds behind winner Matheus Paulo de Santana of Brazil.

Li was the fastest in the ­starters of the eight-team race of the relay final. He ­contributed a nearly two-second lead for ­China before female swimmer He took over the race.

Seventeen-year-old He then maintained China's lead but faced a strong challenge from Russian Anton Chupkov, who trimmed the gap to 0.9 seconds.

Aleksandr Sadovnikov continued Russia's strong surge to claim the third-stage lead ­followed by Australian Nicholas Brown, while China dropped to fourth place in the race.

But Chinese fans' worries were relieved by Yu, whose strong freestyle helped China storm back to the top place.

Hungarian duo Tamas Kenderesi and Benjamin Gratz delivered a one-two for their country in the boys' 200 meters butterfly final.

"It's very simple, everybody in the Hungarian national team believed hard work could pay off," Gratz said of the Hungarians' surge in the swimming pool.

Hannah Moore, 18, pocketed two gold medals for the US on Friday from the pool. She considered her hard work and daily training key to success.

"I train twice a day, three times a week, once every other day," Moore said. "Most kids don't train twice a day, they used to do once a day."

Most swimmers take Sundays off in their training schedule but Moore said she doesn't.

"Hopefully I can play at the 2016 Olympic Games, but let's wait to see what happens in the next two years."



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