17-Year-Old Chen Yujie Clinches Women's 100m Gold at Nagoya Asian Games, Shatters 24-Year Record
Bastillepost · 2 SOURCESabout 4 hours ago5 MIN
Summary
Chinese teenage sensation Chen Yujie (陳妤頡) stormed to gold in the women's 100 meters at the Nagoya Asian Games on September 25, 2026, setting a new Asian Games record of 11.06 seconds at Mizuho Athletics Stadium. The 17-year-old from Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, eclipsed the previous record of 11.15 seconds that had stood for 24 years, marking a breakthrough performance in her first Asian Games appearance. Chen, who was discovered on a tennis court and spent five years in a different sport before switching to athletics, overcame significant technical challenges to reach the pinnacle of Asian sprinting. The victory was particularly meaningful given that defending champion Ge Manqi suffered a hamstring injury in the preliminaries and was unable to compete.
Key Points
- Chen Yujie ran 11.06 seconds in the women's 100m final on September 25, 2026, at Nagoya Mizuho Athletics Stadium, breaking the Asian Games record by 0.09 seconds
- Despite a reaction time of 0.167 seconds ranking sixth among eight finalists, Chen quickly accelerated and established a commanding lead by the halfway point
- Originally a tennis player for five years, Chen was discovered by coach Wu Yacun (吳亞存) who noticed her exceptional foot speed despite her short stature
- Chen had to completely relearn her arm swing technique, as her tennis background taught horizontal arm movement, while sprinting requires forward-backward motion
- At the 2025 National Games, Chen became the youngest sprinter ever to win both the 100m and 200m titles, and she also claimed the 200m at the Asian Championships
Why It Matters
Chen Yujie's meteoric rise from tennis court to Asian Games champion in just a few years challenges the conventional wisdom about athletic development, demonstrating that raw speed and determination can overcome a late start in the sport. Her achievement carries particular significance for Hong Kong's aspiring young athletes, as her story proves that a patient, methodical approach focused on long-term development rather than immediate results can ultimately yield extraordinary breakthroughs .
Chen Yujie's meteoric rise from tennis court to Asian Games champion in just a few years challenges the conventional wisdom about athletic development, demonstrating that raw speed and determination can overcome a late start in the sport. Her achievement carries particular significance for Hong Kong's aspiring young athletes, as her story proves that a patient, methodical approach focused on long-term development rather than immediate results can ultimately yield extraordinary breakthroughs .