China Sports Weekly (3.2-3.8)

Xinhua
08 Mar 2025, 06:48 GMT+10

BEIJING, March 8 (Xinhua) -- Here are the latest Chinese sports headlines from the past week:

1. Olympic speed skating champion Gao to skip World Single Distance Championships

Gao Tingyu of China in action during the men's 500m final of the speed skating event at the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, on Feb. 10, 2025. (Xinhua/Huang Bohan)

China's Olympic champion Gao Tingyu will sit out the remainder of the current season to focus on recovering from injuries, his coach Liu Guangbin has confirmed.

Gao claimed three gold medals from the men's 100m, 500m, and team sprint events at the Asian Winter Games in Harbin in February.

Gao made history at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, becoming China's first male speed skater to win an Olympic gold medal with his 500m victory. He took a 21-month break to rehabilitate a waist injury before returning to international competition in November 2023.

Since Gao's comeback, knee and thigh injuries have continued to hamper his efforts to regain top form, said Liu.

2. Chinese runner Zhang sets personal best at Tokyo Marathon

Chinese runner Zhang Deshun sprints to the finish line at the Tokyo Marathon on March 2, 2025. (Xinhua/Yue Chenxing)

Chinese runner Zhang Deshun set her personal best at the 2025 Tokyo Marathon on March 2.

29-year-old Zhang clocked 2:20:53 to finish ninth in the women's race, not only shattering her previous personal best of 2:24:05, but also securing her qualification for the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.

He Jie clocked 2:07:20 to finish 16th in the men's race, marking his career second-best performance after setting China's national record at the Wuxi Marathon last year.

3. North Team wins 2025 CBA All-Star Game

Gao Shiyan (up) of the North Team dunks during the 2025 CBA All-Star Game against the South Team in Changchun, northeast China's Jilin Province, on March 2, 2025. (Xinhua/Xu Chang)

The North Team overpowered the South Team 159-136 in the 2025 CBA All-Star Game on March 2.

Beijing Royal Fighters center Zou Yuchen, who scored a team-high 23 points, was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP).

Guangdong Southern Tigers guard Xu Jie clinched his second title of the Skill Challenge Contest. Shanxi Loongs sharpshooter Yuan Shuai dominated with a 25-point final round, successfully defending his crown in the three-point shooting contest. Wildcard entrant Chen Dengxing stole the show by leaping over seven people for a gravity-defying dunk, winning the slam dunk contest.

4. China's Yuan claims second WTA doubles title at ATX Open

Yuan Yue of China hits a return during the women's singles first round match against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia at the Australian Open in Melbourne, Australia, on Jan. 13, 2025. (Xinhua/Ma Ping)

China's Yuan Yue captured her second career WTA doubles title on March 2, as she teamed with Russia's Anna Blinkova to stage a comeback win over Zhang Shuai of China and American McCartney Kessler in the ATX Open final.

After dropping the first set 6-3, Yuan and Blinkova bounced back strongly in the next two sets, triumphing 6-1, 10-4 to clinch the championship.

5. Chinese duo among 2025 Laureus Awards nominees

Chinese para-athletes Jiang Yuyan (L) and Qu Zimo. (Xinhua)

Chinese para-athletes Jiang Yuyan and Qu Zimo have been nominated for the Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability Award as the nominees for the 2025 Laureus World Sports Awards were officially announced on March 3.

Jiang won an impressive seven gold medals in swimming at the Paris Paralympics, making her one of the Games' most decorated athletes. Meanwhile, Qu dominated para-badminton, securing both World Championship and Paralympic titles.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Laureus Awards. Given that the selection period aligns with an Olympic year, many of the nominees are athletes who excelled at Paris 2024.