China Wins Seven Gold Medals in Just 90 Minutes at Asian Games

China delivered a remarkable burst of success at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, winning seven gold medals within just 90 minutes as athletes from gymnastics, swimming and karate dominated the competition.

The extraordinary run began with gymnast Zhang Boheng winning the men's individual all-around title. His victory was followed in rapid succession by gold medals from athletes across several sports, creating one of the most intense stretches of medal-winning action for the Chinese delegation at the Games.

According to reports from Chinese media, the seven gold medals came from Zhang Boheng in men's artistic gymnastics, Gong Li and Li Qiaoqiao in women's karate, Yu Zidi in women's 200-meter individual medley, Dong Zhihao in men's 100-meter breaststroke, Wan Letian in women's 50-meter backstroke and Xu Jiayu in men's 50-meter backstroke.

A Golden Run Across Multiple Sports

Zhang Boheng's all-around victory provided the starting point for China's remarkable 90-minute run. The gymnastics champion maintained his strong form across the apparatus and added another major Asian Games title to his career.

The momentum quickly moved to the martial arts arena, where Li Qiaoqiao and Gong Li secured gold medals in their respective women's karate categories.

Swimming then became the main source of China's medal surge.

Teenager Yu Zidi once again attracted global attention by winning the women's 200-meter individual medley. The 13-year-old clocked 2 minutes and 6.10 seconds, setting both an Asian record and an Asian Games record. It was also her second individual gold medal of the Games.

Dong Zhihao added another gold in the men's 100-meter breaststroke, while Wan Letian triumphed in the women's 50-meter backstroke. Xu Jiayu then completed the seven-gold sequence with victory in the men's 50-meter backstroke.

China Dominates the Pool

China's swimming team played a particularly important role in the medal rush.

On the first full day of competition, Chinese swimmers won six of the seven swimming gold medals available and also broke four Games records, according to Xinhua. Olympic and Asian Games champions including Pan Zhanle, Xu Jiayu, Li Bingjie and Tang Qianting successfully defended their titles, while China also retained the women's 4x100-meter freestyle relay crown.

Pan Zhanle won the men's 100-meter freestyle in 47.61 seconds, successfully defending the title he won at the Hangzhou Asian Games. Reuters reported that although the time was well outside his world record, it was enough to secure another Asian Games gold.

The Chinese delegation ultimately collected 11 gold medals, six silver medals and three bronze medals on the first official competition day, with swimming accounting for six of the golds.

A Strong Start in Nagoya

The seven-gold burst highlighted the depth of China's delegation across different sports. Rather than relying on a single discipline, the medals came from gymnastics, karate and swimming, reflecting the broad competitive strength of the Chinese team.

For the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, the opening days have already produced several memorable performances, including Yu Zidi's record-breaking swims and the successful title defenses of several established Chinese champions.

With many events still to come, China's extraordinary 90-minute run has provided a spectacular opening chapter to its campaign at the 2026 Asian Games.