Riding the crest of a wave

Born inland, in a mountainous area of Southwest China's Sichuan province, Yang Siqi's origin couldn't be more at odds with her sporting career — catching breakers atop a surfboard.

The nation's first-ever Olympic surfer, while hailing from miles above sea level, seems to have been born with sea legs, as she once again solidified her status as China's top shredding talent by claiming the women's shortboard gold medal at the 15th National Games on Sunday.

The 16-year-old prodigy claimed the victory with a final score of 14.00 points, defeating Liaoning's Jin Shuhan by a significant 5.33-point margin.

During the four-day surfing competition, held from Nov 13 to 16 at Qing'ao Bay on Nan'ao Island in Shantou, Guangdong province, the weather alternated between sunny and overcast, with waves ranging from powerful to choppy. However, for Sunday's final, the bay experienced the best conditions of the entire four-day event, with clear skies and consistent swells, providing Yang with a stable platform to showcase her high-flying jumps and explosive turns on the waves.

"Today's weather and sea conditions were very favorable. It's all about training hard and being able to reproduce that level when it's time to compete," said Yang who, at the Paris 2024 Olympics, became the first and only surfer to represent Team China.

"Going through the Olympics has taken my experience, wave-reading skills and mental approach to a new level. I feel much more mature as a surfer now," Yang added.

Last summer, defying the odds in the challenging waves of Teahupo'o, Tahiti, the then-15-year-old Yang — also the youngest surfer at the Paris Games — made history for China. She powered through two rounds to advance to the last 16, ultimately securing a tied-ninth-place finish.

"Surfing is a very exciting sport and every race is a new challenge," said Yang.

"I'm so glad that, thanks to the sport's inclusion in the Olympics, and to my debut as a Chinese surfer at the Games, we are seeing more young people pick up the sport."