Chinese teen sailor Wan Feiran competes at the International Topper World Championships 2025 in Medemblik, the Netherlands. Photo: Courtesy of Wan Feiran

With a shy smile and hair pulled in a ponytail, 14-year-old Wan Feiran from Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu Province doesn't appear different from any ordinary teenager at school. But, when she stands on a sailboat, chasing the wind and gliding across the ocean, one quickly realizes that this seemingly unremarkable girl possesses a strength far beyond her age. Recently, she made history by winning an international championship, becoming a trailblazer in China's youth sailing scene.

Passionate and tenacious, young talents like Wan have affectionately been dubbed "xiaohaijie" or "xiaohaige" by Chinese netizens, roughly translated as "kid diva" or "kid king" in English. Wan doesn't mind the title, revealing to the Global Times what makes her a "diva" is because "Every time I face a challenge, I believe it's no big deal, and I can always get it out my way." 

Success from setbacks  

Wan claimed the world champion title at the International Topper World Championships 2025, recently held in Medemblik, the Netherlands. Currently recognized as the world's most prestigious sailing regatta of its class, the championship serves as the ultimate stage upon which young athletes like Wan can prove themselves.

The young athlete made history not only in China, but globally, by becoming the world's first female champion to win in the 4.2 class competing category. She triumphed 260 top sailors from around the world, despite Team Britain's long-standing domination and status as the odds-on favorite to win.  

"I can't describe how nervous I was, and to be honest, I was afraid that competitors behind might overtake me," Wan told the Global Times, adding that she didn't imagine she'd win, and only considered the competition an opportunity to strengthen her willpower. 

Wan's journey to hoisting China's National Flag over Dutch waters was far from smooth. 

She started strong on day one of the competition, taking an early lead with a first-place finish. However, the second and third days were fraught with challenges. First, shifting winds cost her a win, and what followed was a 5-point penalty for late check-in on the third day. 

Unlike track and field athletes who race toward a visible, linear finish line, every sailing competition tests both an athlete's mental fortitude and physical endurance. Sailors must maintain peak fitness while continuously adjusting their course strategy based on shifting winds. A single moment of panic can lead to errors, but Wan's success was a direct result of her remarkable composure under pressure despite imperfect conditions.

She told the Global Times that at the last day's competition, she "forced" herself to forget setbacks and stopped dwelling on rankings. Instead, she focused on her coach's advice to "sensitively read the winds," maneuvering through the fleet to carve out her own winning route. Her victory was anything but "accidental," coach Li Jiantong told Global Times. 

"The ability to adapt quickly matters more than technical perfection. What's unique about Wan is her pure focus on the sport itself," Li noted. 

Epitomizing youth's power 

Despite now being a world champion, Wan's sailing journey only began in 2020. Drawn by her love for the blue ocean and fascination with maritime culture and techniques, she first took up sailing as a way to reach the open waters. Ironically, she admits she "absolutely disliked" the sport at the very beginning.

"When I first started sailing, I was terrified," She recalls. "And because of training, I lost most of my free time." While her classmates headed home after school, Wan's sailing practice would just be beginning. Weekends offered no respite that she had to arrive at the training site at dawn. 

Yet through this rigorous daily routine, instead of quitting, she gradually fell in love with the sport. "Now when I'm stressed from studying, I actually crave going out on the water to relax," she says. 

Devoting herself to the sport has not only transformed Wan from an introverted child to a courageous young lady, but has also made her the poster child for China's booming youth sailing development.

Sailing used to be a far less popular "niche sport" in China compared with other traditional sports like football or table tennis, due to factors such as "limited access to facilities, high costs and low public awareness," sports commentor Li Shuang, told the Global Times. 

However, in recent years, new initiatives like sailing summer camps and regattas have helped the sport gain traction, particularly among Generation Alpha. According to the General Administration of Sport of China, children and teenagers accounted for 90 percent of China's sailing population as of the year 2022, and the number is still on the rise. Over 60 waterfront cities in China have also developed sailing programs to engage the public. 

Beyond cultivating youth talents for future international competitions, sailing is also transitioning into a sport of public engagement, and weaves into family ties. This growing appeal was evident at the 2025 China Family Sailing Race held in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province in early August. 

Drawing nearly 40 family teams from across China, this regatta marked the nation's first sailing competition with family-based entries. By combining competitive sailing with Taihu Lake tourism, the event aimed to showcase the sport's appeal to broader audiences.