Shanghai’s Chen Yuxi overcame a fever to win the women’s 10m platform with 412.30 points at the Guangdong Olympic Centre. After a shaky preliminary round, the 20-year-old delivered a brilliant 81.60 on her 407C in the final, holding off 2019 world champion Lu Wei by 28.30 points as Liu Zihan rounded out the podium.

On the men’s 3m springboard, Olympic double gold medallist Wang Zongyuan was untouchable. The 24-year-old nine-time world champion started strong with an 88.40 on his inward 3½, maintained the lead throughout, and capped his performance with a near-perfect 106.40 final dive to finish on 549.85, earning his first National Games gold in the event. Three-time world titliest Zheng Jiuyuan and 2016 world champion He Chao claimed silver and bronze, respectively.

In Shenzhen, 18-year-old Zhang Zhanshuo made waves in the men’s 400m freestyle, touching in 3:42.82 to break his own World Junior Record that he had previously set in September at the Chinese National Swimming Championships. He won by nearly five seconds over a field that included 2024 World and Olympic 100m freestyle champion Pan Zhanle, who moved up in distance. World junior medallist Xu Haibo and 2025 world relay medallist Fei Liwei took silver and bronze, while Pan finished fifth.

Li Bingjie reclaimed her women’s 400m freestyle crown in 4:01.17, as the world and Olympic relay gold medallist repeated her 2017 success. Doha 2024 world gold medallist teammate Yang Peiqi was just 0.73 seconds behind for silver, and open-water specialist Liu Yaxin earned bronze.

Day 1 Highlights

Chen Yuxi wins women’s 10m platform despite fever, fending off world champion Lu Wei.

Wang Zongyuan claims men’s 3m springboard gold with a near-perfect final dive.

Zhang Zhanshuo breaks junior world record in men’s 400m freestyle, winning by nearly five seconds.

Li Bingjie reclaims women’s 400m freestyle title, 0.73 seconds ahead of Yang Peiqi.

33 gold medals awarded across 22 events on opening day.